


Bizarre Love Triangle

by powergrapes



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, F/F, Friends With Benefits, New York City, idiots banging until they fall in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:15:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29549871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/powergrapes/pseuds/powergrapes
Summary: One day, two women meet on the subway. The recently dumped Lena is recovering from a broken heart, and Kara is grappling with the open-ish relationship she has with her long-distance boyfriend. They decide that they’re going to become friends. The kind of friends who also have totally casual, no-strings-attached, nobody’s-catching-feelings sex. What could go wrong?As Alex puts it: “Kara. This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done. And I’m including the time that you set fire to your own hair and nearly burned the house down trying to do some spell you found on MySpace to make Troy Bolton materialize in real life and marry you.”Or: Lena and Kara go around New York City eating food and banging each other until their feelings eat away at them, and Alex tries not to have an aneurysm about it.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Querl Dox/Nia Nal
Comments: 160
Kudos: 630





	1. that’s how it starts

**Author's Note:**

> Y’all, here are the things that I know to be true: 1) This ship is inundated with talent and fanfics, 2) fandoms in general already use the “x with benefits” trope a ton, and 3) the entire world does NOT need yet another story set in New York City.
> 
> So, anyway, here’s a supercorp friends-with-benefits story set in New York City. Because doing things that are absolutely unnecessary is my superpower. 
> 
> Two disclaimers:
> 
> 1\. In life, it is possible to have healthy FWB relationships, open relationships, and polyamorous relationships with good communication. But this is fanfic, so it includes none of that. This is a story about idiots doing idiot things until it’s supercorp endgame.  
> 2\. The title is taken from Frente’s cover of “Bizarre Love Triangle” and not New Order’s. It is very important to me that you know that, but I do not have a good reason for it. Please see the note above about my superpower.

_That's how it starts  
_ _We go back to your house  
_ _We check the charts  
_ _And start to figure it out  
_ _And if it's crowded, all the better  
_ _Because we know we're gonna be up late_  
_But if you're worried about the weather  
_ _Then you picked the wrong place to stay_

“All My Friends” - LCD Soundsystem

It all starts with Kara ignoring one of Alex’s cardinal rules.

“ _Don’t make eye contact on the subway_ ,” Alex had told her. “ _Or the street. Or the store. Or, just, you know, anywhere._ ”

After five years in the city and countless encounters with strange men asking Kara for her money, time, phone number, and sometimes all three, one would think that Kara has learned her lesson.

But on this wintry January Saturday, her mind awash in anxious waves as it obsessively replays and dissects the unpleasant call she had with Mike that morning, Kara needs a distraction. So she allows herself to roam her eyes over her fellow passengers in the semi-crowded subway car, imagining their lives and stories to distract herself. The stocky, middle-aged man with his eyes closed is a construction worker who makes a 2-hour commute from New Jersey everyday. The young woman with pierced lip and oversized headphones lives with her parents and two siblings in a one-bedroom apartment and studies psychology at the city‘s university. The well-dressed man leaning against the subway doors works on Wall Street and goes up to his cabin in the Catskills on the weekends to perfect the art of whittling.

And a few feet away, that raven-haired woman standing in the middle of the subway car, gloved hand clinging on to the pole, she’s-

The woman looks up, revealing a pale, pretty face, striking even with its clearly exhibited distress. The woman glances up at the display of subway stops above; then, almost unthinkingly, she looks around the subway car. Her eyes, light blue-green and shimmering from barely contained tears, meet Kara’s.

And Kara’s mind goes blank.

The raven-haired woman, embarrassed, quickly looks away. She lowers her head and takes in a sharp, shaky breath.

Kara’s making her way over before she even has time to think about what she’s doing, weaving her way through the few straphangers between them. She comes to a stop when she grabs a hold of the same pole the woman is using.

The raven-haired woman looks up again, and looks appropriately confused at the approach.

Kara tries to think of something to open with. It has to be a good one.

“Would you like a donut?”

The woman’s look of confusion morphs into alarm. As it should when one is randomly offered food on the subway by a complete stranger who’s been staring at you.

And really, the only appropriate response is: “What?”

“A donut.” Kara digs into her tote bag and produces a grease-stained white paper bag. The woman eyes her carefully as she does. “There’s this place in Greenpoint that makes the best red velvet donuts. Would you like one?” Evidently red velvet donuts are not sufficiently enticing, because the raven-haired woman looks no less alarmed. So Kara tries something else. “I also have cannolis from Veniero’s. Do you want one?”

Again, the only appropriate response: “ _What_?”

“I also have mini pies. Pumpkin? Blueberry?”

“I…” The woman draws her own conclusion on what Kara’s trying to do. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t have any cash on me.”

It takes a moment for Kara to catch on, and when she does, she barks out a laugh. “Oh, no! I’m not selling anything. I’m just offering.”

It’s not possible for anyone to look as confused as this woman does. “But why?”

Kara shrugs lightly. “You look like you could use it.” The train is slowing as it pulls into the 42nd Street station. Kara glances at the display above to confirm the stop, then holds out the white bag. “This is my stop. Here, take the donuts. They’re really good. They’ll make you feel better. I promise.”

The woman, still with that astonished, vaguely unsettled expression on her face, takes the paper bag just as the train stops and the doors slide open. Kara beams at her, adjusts her tote bag, and hurries out of the car.

Rushing out onto the wide, bustling platform, Kara finds herself momentarily lost, unsure of which direction to go for the exit that she wants. She spends a moment craning her neck, trying to get a glimpse of the street signs at each end of the platform. The people around her swarm and swirl, gradually thinning out. Then Kara notices the presence next to her. The woman.

“Oh, hi!” Kara greets brightly. “Did you want the pies instead?”

“N- no, this is my stop too.” The woman holds up the paper bag in her hand. “Why did you give this to me?”

“I told you. It looked like you needed it.”

Kara’s answer evidently does nothing to alleviate the woman’s confusion. “Do you just… go around the city giving away donuts to sad people?”

“Not usually, no.”

The woman’s now looking around, like she’s looking for a hidden camera or an accomplice with a phone. Surely this is a prank. “So… why…”

“I don’t know. I just thought some sugar might cheer you up. It cheers _me_ up.”

Seemingly satisfied that there’s no one lurking about with a camera, the woman nods at Kara’s tote bag. “Is that why you’re carrying three different desserts with you?”

“Actually, yes. And I’m on my way to collect another one.”

The woman shifts about on her feet, looking unsure of what she’s about to say. “Where?”

“Lady M. Do you know it?”

The woman nods. “It’s this way.” She starts moving, and Kara follows. They easily fall into step together. “So… what are you planning to do with all this?”

“Take it all back to my apartment and stuff my face,” Kara answers, as lightly as she can.

“Bad day?”

Kara nods. “But maybe no worse than yours.”

“And this is what you do on a bad day? Go around the city collecting desserts?”

“Got a better idea?”

“I’m partial to wine myself.”

“Ah, well, that’s for a bad _night_.”

The woman lets out a low chuckle, then seems taken aback by her own reaction, like she didn’t expect to laugh at such an obvious, corny quip.

Now slightly less guarded, the woman offers, “I’m Lena.”

“Kara.” Without breaking stride, Kara sticks out her hand. Lena takes it and they shake hands briefly as they exit the station.

Kara’s surprised, but not displeased, to find Lena moving alongside her towards the direction of the cake shop.

“I couldn’t help but notice your bag.” Lena nods towards Kara’s sugar-laden tote bag, emblazoned with a CatCo Worldwide Media logo. “I have a coworker who’s obsessed with the magazine. He just started going out with a girl who works there and now he’s ordered a year’s worth of back catalogue to ‘study’. He’s been talking about it all week.”

Kara stares back at Lena with gleeful surprise. “Brainy?!”

Lena comes to a sudden stop. “Wait, are you the-”

“Oh, no, no,” Kara says hastily. “But I work at CatCo too. I know Nia. She’s so excited about him! I can’t believe you know him. And with the tea! She was just telling me how she wasn’t sure if he’s into her.”

“Oh,” Lena replies simply, her mind still reeling from a coincidence like this in a city of eight million people. Then again, maybe it’s the CatCo bag that even inspired her to talk to Kara in the first place. After having spent the vast majority of life never thinking about CatCo, then last week being inundated by Brainy’s chatter of nothing but, it felt oddly significant to be accosted on the subway by a woman with a CatCo bag. Like the universe’s trying to tell her something. Not that Lena even believes in such things. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that thing about the back catalogue then.”

They start walking again. Looking to reassure, Kara says, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell her the details. But I may just encourage Nia to be patient with him.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

“But if they get married, we’re definitely telling this story at the wedding.”

“Okay,” Lena responds with an amused smile. “That sounds fair.”

“Nia’s never going to believe I randomly met Brainy’s friend on the subway. She’s going to think it’s a sign.”

“Like we were fated to meet?” Lena suggests, her tone thick with irony.

“Sure, you laugh now. Wait until I’m giving my toast at Brainy and Nia’s wedding. It’s going to be a fantastic story.”

“I look forward to it.” Her curiosity over the bag satisfied, Lena turns to her next question. “So what’s the trouble that has you running for pastries?”

“Oh. Uh…” Kara isn’t sure how to answer that. Her history with Mike and their current conflict is complicated, to say the least.

“I’m sorry,” Lena says quickly. Interpreting Kara’s response as reticence at sharing with a stranger who’s now more or less invited herself along on the walk to the cake shop, she slows her footsteps to allow Kara to get ahead. “It’s none of my business.”

“No, no.” Kara slows down too, and matches Lena’s pace. “It’s just kind of a long, complicated story.”

“Ah,” Lena voices in understanding. “I won’t pry.”

“No, I mean that it’d take a while to tell.” Kara’s stopped now, and Lena realizes that they’ve arrived at Kara’s destination. Kara inclines her head toward the store. “But if you’d like to have a slice of cake with me?”

Lena’s instinctively on the verge of saying no, but catches herself. It’s not as if she has anywhere else better to be.

“All right. But you have to take back these donuts. I can’t do both in one day.”

Kara narrows her eyes, clearing judging Lena’s irrational decision to voluntarily surrender donuts, but she takes back the bag. They line up at the counter and order their slices, for Lena, a green tea mille crepe and a black coffee, for Kara, a chocolate mille crepe, a checkers cake, and a mont blanc.

“What?” She asks when she feels Lena’s eyes on her. “Some of it is for later.”

They find a table in the back. As they dig into their mille crepes, Kara tells Lena about her life-long love affair with Mike Matthews.

They had grown up together in Krypton, a small town in Minnesota. They started “dating” at eleven - or whatever passed for dating at that age - until Kara moved away two years later. They kept in touch over the years, blurring the line between close friends and pining exes, occasionally “getting back together” and trying to do the long-distance thing. It’s never worked out for them, but they’ve also never been able to fully sever the ties between them. When Mike moved to the city three years ago, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that they would finally be together. And they did. For a while, everything was great. But then Mike’s company asked him to take an assignment in Germany.

“So that’s where he’s been for about a year now.” Having quickly finished off her mille crepe, Kara is now halfway through her checkers cake. “When he left, we’d agreed- well, we agreed to a lot of things, one of which was that he’d be back in a year and we’d just pick up where we left off. But now he’s saying that the company wants him to stay another six months and he’s going to do it. I just, I thought he’d be back soon, but now it’s going to be six more months and who even knows after that?”

“Did you two talk about it before he agreed to stay?” The glumness in Kara’s expression answers Lena’s question. “That wasn’t very considerate on his part.”

“No, I don’t- I mean, they kind of demanded an answer from him on the spot. I know he would have talked to me first if he could. And I know that he can’t afford to say no to them. He really needs the job. So that’s not even the real reason why I’m upset. It’s just that…” Kara worries at her bottom lip, feeling reluctant to share something so personal.

“It’s all right,” Lena reassures her. “Hey, did you know that there’s an Angela Merkel Barbie doll?”

Kara relaxes then, smiling in relief at the change in subject. “I did know that, actually.”

“All right, but did you know that as a child, I once tried to make my own Ada Lovelace Barbie from a Beach Barbie?”

Inhaling sharply, Kara pitches forward and adopts the position of rapt attention with both hands underneath her chin and elbows upon the table top.

“Tell me _everything_.”

From there, they sit and chat aimlessly. They share stories and what remains of Kara’s cakes (although, in truth, Kara ate the bulk of it).

Lena, Kara learns, has lived in the city almost her entire life, save for a stint in boarding school and going to college in Massachusetts. She now works in biotech research. She has an older brother named Lex, who is a brilliant man and, at times, an insufferable prick. ( _“That’s funny, my sister’s name is Alex. Not a prick though. Prickly, yes, but not a prick._ ”) Kara tells Lena about her job at the magazine, as a reporter in name but a glorified fact-checker in practice working her way up. They bond over their mutual love of Titanic and *NSYNC.

Finally, Kara asks, “So what’s made you so sad today?”

Instantly, although they just spent so long sharing, Lena looks wary. “I think I’d need some wine before I get into that.”

“Okay, well.” Kara nods her head toward the windows. Lena looks over, and is surprised to see that it’s already dark out. “Is it time to have a bad night?”

This probably isn’t a good idea. Lena had already derailed her plans today (which, granted, only consisted of reading pharmaceutical trade publications) to eat cake with a woman she barely knows.

But she finds herself saying, “I know we just had dessert, but I don’t suppose you’d like to get some dinner?”

With a broad grin, Kara replies, “I’m okay with doing things out of order.”

Then they’re off, back into the cold. At Kara’s suggestion, they end up at a gastropub a few blocks north. Still early for a Saturday night, they manage to get a table. Kara gets the fish and chips and Lena tries to order a salad, but upon seeing the look of dismay on Kara’s face, switches her order to a veggie pot pie. As they eat, they continue their conversation earlier on ‘90s pop culture.

Lena hasn’t offered to talk about her bad day. So Kara hasn't pushed. Instead, Kara tells Lena about the neighborhood she lives in, and how she basically only chose it because Alex lives two blocks away.

After their meals, they order cocktails. When Lena’s halfway through hers, she finally volunteers, “So. My bad day.”

Kara sits up a bit straighter, but respectfully says, “Only if you want.”

“It’s nowhere as interesting as yours, I’m afraid. No childhood loves or long-distance relationships. It’s fairly boring. I got dumped.” Lena shrugs, trying to seem casual but knowing that she’s failing miserably. “We were together for a year. I can’t say things were perfect, but I still felt quite blindsided when she broke up with me. That was a month ago. Today my friends and I were at brunch and there she was. With her new girlfriend.”

Lena clucked her tongue, a humorless smile on her face. “You know, Veronica doesn’t even like Shopsin’s. She always complained every time I wanted to go. She said it was too ‘squalid’. But I guess love changes you because she certainly wasn’t complaining today when she was making out with her new girlfriend in the middle of brunch.

“So I went over and asked why she had to come to this place, of all places. I shouldn’t have because it just set her off. She told me that, like always, I was being an uptight bitch, that she’s glad she’s rid of me… well, that’s when my friend Andrea jumped in. She was being a good friend, but it didn’t help the situation. Words were had, food was thrown. In the end, we were all asked to leave. I think we’re all banned from Shopsin’s now. So… there it is. Not a spectacular story, just embarrassing.”

“Yes,” Kara said quickly. “For Veronica. Who behaves like that?”

“I shouldn’t have gone over. We’re adults. I can’t expect her to avoid certain places just because it’d upset me.”

“Oh, please. It’s a big city. She can find a different place to have eggs for a couple months other than _your_ favorite brunch spot.”

Lena chuckled, ducking her head in acknowledgement. “Andrea said the same thing. But she also said that it was a bad idea for me to go over. She blamed it on my IBS.” When Kara wrinkles her nose, Lena quickly amends, “Oh, no, I don’t- sorry, it’s a joke. Andrea says I suffer from Insufficient Boning Syndrome. Because it’s, ah, been a while. She says it’s making me irritable and affecting my judgment. She told me that I needed to get over Veronica by getting under someone else.”

“And you don’t want to?”

“I’d like to move on. And I’d like to…” Looking slightly embarrassed at discussing this with a relative stranger, Lena looked down at her near-empty cocktail glass, clearing her throat lightly. “I’m not strictly opposed to the idea of having some, um, physical contact. Especially since it’s… well, like I said, it’s been a while. Towards the end of the relationship, there wasn’t much passion.” She looks up now, peering at Kara anxiously. “Too much?”

Kara shakes her head. “No. So if you don’t mind me asking, what’s the problem? I mean, you’re so unbelievably beaut-”And now it’s Kara’s turn to look embarrassed. “Uh, I just mean that it’s- just that you probably don’t have a hard time finding, um, interested parties.”

It’s not the first time Lena’s been complimented on her looks. But this, coming from Kara, fills her with inexplicable giddiness.

“The problem is I’m nowhere emotionally ready to be in a relationship.”

“But there are a lot of other people out there who’s okay with just a hookup, right?”

“Or they say they are and end up wanting something more anyway,” Lena answers with a shrug. “Besides, I don’t know how I feel about having a series of one night stands. Nothing wrong with it, but there’s a shocking number of women out there who think you can’t get STIs through lesbian sex. The risk is low, but still more risk than I’d like. In a no-strings-attached situation, I can’t help but wonder how safe they’re being with other people and what the risk is to me.”

“Sounds like you want a friend with like exclusive benefits?”

Lena wrinkles her nose at the thought. “They’re all attractive people, but no. We know each other too well to be attracted to each other. You know what I mean?”

“Well… then… maybe…” Kara’s staring down at her empty glass, fingers nervously rubbing at its stem. “An almost-friend that you’ve… just met?”

Lena says nothing, too stunned by the suggestion. She recovers when Kara looks up with her face teeming with uncertainty and worry.

“When you offered me those donuts, it crossed my mind that you were hitting on me, but then you mentioned a boyfriend…”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t- I wasn’t hitting on you, it honestly didn’t occur to me until just now while you were telling me-” Kara shakes her head fiercely, feeling like she’s about to die of humiliation. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where that came from. It was a stupid, stupid thing to say.”

Kara sits back, slightly slumped, waiting for Lena to make a hasty exit.

Instead, Lena asks, “What about Mike?”

Kara shifts uncomfortably in her seat, feeling her body tense at the subject. “Okay, so… you know how I said that Mike and I agreed to a lot of things when he left? Well… one of those things we agreed on is having a open-ish relationship? We’re going to be together exclusively when he comes back but, in the meantime, what we do when we’re apart is just, you know, what we do.”

Skeptically, Lena asks, “And was this your idea or his?”

“Well, we both agreed that we didn’t want to be in a long-distance relationship.”

“But when you said you didn’t want long-distance, you meant ‘don’t go to Germany’ and he meant ‘let’s sleep with other people.’”

“It wasn’t like that,” Kara replies even as she thinks that maybe it had been a little bit like that. “Anyway, he’s been gone almost a year and I haven’t done anything, and a lot of it has to do with the same reasons you mentioned. You know, worried about being safe and also that I’d be leading someone on when I’m definitely not emotionally available for that. But Mike…well, we don’t really talk about it but I know he’s… made friends. So when he told me that he was staying for another six months, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was another reason he wanted to stay. Another person.

“I told him how I felt, I asked if there was another reason he wanted to stay, and he said no. He said that we promised each other that we’d be together at the end of this and we've always kept our promises to each other. And then he said that… maybe I’m feeling insecure because I haven’t enjoyed New York as much I should have while he’s gone. He said that I should… get out there and enjoy myself.”

“And naturally you interpreted that to mean you should go on a sugar rampage through the city.”

“Up until five minutes ago, yeah. And then you said that thing about it being difficult to find a regular sex-only partner, and I just, well, I’m kind of in the same position and I’m already in love with somebody else, so…” Suddenly feeling overexposed and like she had truly overstepped her bounds, Kara tries to correct the course. “But that’s silly. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t go around just saying whatever pops into my head. That was so presumptuous of me, like for me to assume that you’re even attracted to me or that you’d want-”

“I’m attracted to you,” Lena blurts out. Reining herself in, she adds, milder now, “I’m… definitely attracted. I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t be.”

“Oh. Um.” With a pleased, nervous smile, Kara fidgets with her glasses to distract herself from the wave of overwhelming pleasure she feels. “Thank you. That’s, uh, really kind of you to say.”

“Kind has nothing to do with it, it’s the truth,” Lena replies. “So what now?”

“Uh. Well. Maybe go over some details?” Kara finds herself squirming, finding it uncomfortable to talk so plainly about this. But it’s important to be able to talk about these things. “You had mentioned being safe. And, um, I had my physical in November with a full panel. I have a clean bill of health and um, I haven’t done anything since then. So. But of course we can still use protection if you’re more comfortable.”

“I was tested last month. Same. And you’d be okay with not having other partners?”

“Well, yeah, that’s the point of this, right? We can both have something, um, physically satisfying but do it safely?”

At that, Lena leans forward, a playful glint in her eyes. “You know, maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Who says it’d be satisfying? Maybe we’d have zero chemistry.”

Kara huffs indignantly. “Excuse me, I’m very good at what I do.”

“Chemistry has nothing to do with skill.”

Kara brings herself forward, mirroring Lena’s position and leaning over the table. “Okay then. So kiss me and find out.”

That’s the opening Lena’s looking for. She smiles and slowly leans in, tilting her head slightly to the side. She pauses, and waits for Kara to meet her halfway.

And Kara does. Their lips meet. A closed, chaste peck.

It’s Kara who draws back first. Just slightly, cracking her eyes open to gauge Lena’s reaction. Lena smiles. Gives an affirming nod. So Kara goes back in, her slightly parted lips meeting Lena’s again.

They kiss over the tabletop. Slow and tentative at first, each unsure and hesitant of going too fast, each mindful of this public display. But as electrifying desire spreads throughout their bodies, instinct takes over. Caution and reservations forgotten, their kiss deepens, mouths feverishly working against the other’s. World forgotten, they’re blinded, deafened, and swept away by crescendoing need. They tip their bodies into it - or, as much as they can, given the table between them.

They’re pulled back to reality with raucous noise; an unrelated, risqué joke told at a table a few feet away with a large party, eliciting a sudden, loud laughter that pierces through their bubble.

They break apart. Sit back in their seats.

Lena looks at the blonde across the table, slightly astonished.

Kara clears her throat and grabs for her water glass. Before taking a sip, she remarks, as coolly as she can, “How’s that for chemistry?”

And really, the only appropriate response is:

“Do you want to get out of here?”

***

Lena takes them to her apartment a few blocks away. Kara’s stunned to discover that Lena lives in a modern, luxury, doorman high-rise building overlooking Bryant Park.

Kara stands frozen in the entranceway. “You _live_ here?”

Lena shrugs off her coat, hangs it up, and strides down the hall to her sizable living room. “Honestly, it’s mostly out of convenience. My company’s just down the block. It’s not my favorite neighborhood, a bit soulless and busy. I do enjoy saying good morning to Patience and Fortitude though.”

“To who now?”

“The two lions in front of the library,” Lena clarifies as she takes a seat on the couch. “Are you going to come in?”

Slowly, Kara takes off her coat, still gaping at her surroundings. “What is it that you said you do again?”

“Biotech research.” Lena slips off her heels, setting them beside her sofa.

“Can I, um.” Kara holds up a finger, looping it about in the air .

“Go ahead. Look around all you like.”

Kara surveys the land. The entranceway opens to a long hallway. To the left, there’s a spacious dining/living room with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Bryant Park. Tucked away on the other side of the hallway is a modern kitchen, with expensive, shiny countertops and sleek, stainless equipment. And a _dishwasher_. The kitchen provides a passageway connecting the dining/living room to a study before looping back into that long hallway by the entrance. On the other end of that long hallway are two bedrooms, one master and a smaller second bedroom.

“I didn’t realize there’s such good money in biotech research.” Kara says as she makes her way back to the living room. “Is your roommate here?”

“I don’t have a roommate.”

That’s the most startling thing Lena’s said to her all night. Kara stares at her, feeling like her brain’s about to short-circuit.

“You live in a two-bedroom. In Midtown. With a doorman. By yourself,” Kara restates, trying to sound calm but still coming off as slightly hysterical. “Ohmygod, you have a washer and dryer in here, don’t you?”

“Kara,” Lena answers, serenely but firmly. “Come over here.”

“I’m afraid to sit on your couch. It’s probably worth more than my entire life savings.”

“Well, if you’re afraid to sit on the couch, you could just sit on my lap instead.”

Not even fancy-apartment-struck Kara would say no to that.

She approaches Lena, climbing on top and straddling her lap. She drapes her arms about the brunette’s shoulders, loosely clasping her hands around the nape. She finds herself staring into stunning blue-green orbs, the sight of it so breathtaking that she can almost feel her chest ache.

“Hey,” she whispers.

“Hi,” Lena whispers back as her fingers linger and dance at the edge of Kara’s shirt.

It’s Kara who closes the gap between them. They make out languidly, indulgently, unhurriedly, warm tongues gently sliding and exploring. It’s Lena who makes the first move under the clothes, slipping her hand beneath Kara’s shirt to caress along the length of her torso. Kara gasps against Lena’s mouth as she feels a hand cup her breast.

“Kara,” Lena murmurs against fervent lips.

“Yeah?” Kara responds as she turns her attention to Lena’s neck. Lena lets her head drop against the back of the couch, squeezing her eyes shut as she struggles to remember what she wants to say.

In between sharp gasps that correspond to Kara’s gentle sucking at her neck, she manages to say, “You know that it’s okay if nothing happens, right? I don’t- I don’t want you to think that you have to do something just because you came home with me or because I want it or- or because _Mike_ wants it.”

Kara pulls back slightly, regarding Lena in perplexion. “Well, I’m the one on top of _you_ , so what does that tell you?”

“Just checking in.” Delicately, Lena brushes an errant strand of hair out of Kara’s eyes. “I want to make sure that this is happening because _you_ want it to.”

“You should know that your concern is extremely hot. It just makes me want to take off all your clothes.” Kara pauses, studying Lena for a reaction. “If that’s what _you_ want.”

Lena doesn’t even hesitate. “Bedroom’s that way.”

“Okay then.” Kara takes her glasses off, setting it atop the side table. She swiftly clambers off, and before Lena even fully registers what’s happening, she finds herself in Kara’s arms, being carried off down the long hallway towards the bedroom.

Instinctively, Lena yips in surprise and grabs on, looping her arms around the blonde’s neck, although it probably isn’t necessary, not with the sturdy grip Kara has on her.

“Where did the bumbling donut lady go?”

Kara promptly shoots back, “Donut lady in the streets, dapper daddy between the sheets.”

Lena blinks in shock, then bursts out with a high-pitched, borderline hysterical laugh. “You did _not_ just say that.”

Kara’s already grimacing at her own words. “Um… yeah, I don’t know where that came from. I’ll come up with a better comeback later and we can pretend I said that thing instead of… what I just said.”

They tumble into the room, Kara depositing the other woman on her bed.

“My god,” Kara exhales in astonishment.

Lena follows Kara’s gaze, at the view of the Empire State Building out her window, cast in a red glow for the evening. And, sure, it’s a great view, but Lena can’t help feeling the tinsiest bit offended. Surely she can compete with a _building_.

“Um, Kara? Would you like to undress me now?”

Kara snaps her attention back to the task at hand. Hurriedly, she scrambles onto the bed, her hands going to work at the buttons of Lena’s blouse. To make up for the momentary lapse in focus, she now lavishes attention on the woman under her. With each button undone, Kara presses soft kisses against the unveiled skin beneath, trailing her way up, up Lena’s tense, eager body until their mouths meet once again.

As they kiss, they undress each other. A little uncomfortable, a lot clumsy, they struggle with unfamiliar terrain. Lena squirms when Kara touches her side, and Kara learns that Lena is ticklish. Kara squeals when Lena nips at her neck, and Lena learns that Kara doesn’t like teeth on her skin. But they giggle and laugh their way through it, their excited, boisterous mood undiminished by the brief skirmishes with awkwardness in learning one another’s body.

When they’re naked, pressed up tight together, Lena utters lowly, “You okay?”

Kara nods surely. “You?”

“Yeah.” Lena’s hand, prowling south, grazes upon Kara’s thigh. “Are you ready?”

“Please.” Lena dips her fingers into wet folds, rubbing at where Kara’s most sensitive. Kara inhales sharply through clenched teeth, arching her hips up as her body spasmed with pleasure.

“God, that feels amazing.”

“It really has been a while, hasn’t it?” Lena teases. “You’re so ready. One or two? Three?”

“Two, please.”

When Lena obeys, Kara lets out a deep sigh of relief, which quickly turns into a high-pitched whine as the brunette starts thrusting. And Lena’s right. Kara’s ready. So ready that it doesn’t take long at all for Lena to make her come. So ready that, almost immediately after her orgasm, Kara’s looking to return the favor.

“I’m a little rusty,” she admits as her hand dips down. “Will you tell me what feels good to you?”

“Yes,” Lena says.

Which quickly turns into a series of _yes yes yes_ without the need for much instructions at all.

“ _Well_ ,” Lena manages through heaving pants, gazing upon Kara with something that looks a lot like admiration. “Not so rusty after all.”

Still caressing Lena’s thigh and peppering kisses along her shoulder, Kara answers, with a healthy dose of ‘I just made a hot woman come’ swagger, “Could always use more practice. When you’re ready.”

It doesn’t take long for Lena to be ready again.

When they finally mutually agree that they’re done, it’s very late.

“You can stay if you want,” Lena says.

“I should go.” Kara sounds as reluctant as Lena looks. “I’m having breakfast with Alex in the morning.”

“Well, at least let me get you an Uber home.”

As Kara gets dressed, Lena throws on a robe and searches for her phone.

“So, um…” Kara starts hesitantly as she’s pulling on her jeans. “Would you… do you think you’ll want to do this again? And no hard feelings if the answer’s no. If this is it, that’s- uh, it’s totally fine. I’ll just, um, maybe see you at Brainy and Nia’s wedding in three years and we’ll… just like pretend not to have met before or something.”

Lena should not find this kind of bumbling awkwardness as endearing as she does. “I’ll give you my number.” Lena does, and Kara enters it into her phone. But then Kara freezes, staring down at her phone uncertainly. “What is it?”

“What’s your, um- I mean, you- it’s just, I, I don’t actually know, uh-”

“My last name?”

Kara flushes, looking sheepish and deeply embarrassed even though she’s just spent the last couple of hours ravishing Lena. Well, maybe _because_ she’s spent the last couple of hours ravishing Lena Last Name Unknown.

“Uh, yup.”

“It’s Luthor. L-U-T-H-O-R.”

Kara keys it in, keeping her attention sharply focused on her screen. “I’ve, um, never done this kind of thing before. Sleep with someone I just met.”

“I don’t exactly make this a habit either. But I suppose that’s the point of this arrangement. Now we don’t have to go looking for strangers to satisfy our needs.”

“At least until Mike gets back.”

“Right,” Lena replies evenly. “Until then.” Her phone buzzes and she looks down. “Your car’s downstairs.”

Lena walks Kara to the apartment door. Kara opens the door and takes one step out, but then lingers in the doorway. She turns back, shoving her hands into the pockets of her heavy coat.

“Um… well, thanks for a lovely evening.”

“You too.” Well, that hardly seems sufficient. Grabbing a hold of Kara’s coat, Lena gives a gentle tug, pulling the other woman into her personal space, covering her mouth with her own in a long, slow goodbye kiss. When Lena pulls back, Kara looks vaguely dazed. “Goodnight, Kara.”

With a small push upon Kara’s shoulder, Lena casts Kara over the doorway threshold; after one last purposeful once-over accompanied by a flirtatious smirk, she closes the door.

She heads back to bed, feeling tiredness and sleepiness settling in. Just as she collapses into bed, she hears her phone buzz. She grabs it off the bedside table and peers at the screen.

There’s a text from an unfamiliar number.

The message just says “ _Kara Danvers_.”

***

In a crowded diner flooded with the noises of the Sunday morning brunch rush, Kara can somehow still hear the weak, disbelieving stammers coming from her sister across the table.

After flapping her lips and uselessly emitting a string of incomprehensible noises, Alex finally manages to say, “You- you spent the night with a woman that you met… on the _subway_?!” On that last word Alex’s voice goes so high, it’s almost a whistle.

Meekly, Kara nods her head.

“ _You_ ,” Alex says in a shocked-beyond-belief voice. “Kara Danvers. You, of all people, had a one night stand. _With a woman you met on the subway._ ”

With her fork, Kara pokes at the stack of waffles before her, dragging a swirl of syrup across the ridged surface. “Um… well, it’s not exactly supposed to be a one night stand. She’s sort of in the same situation as me in that she’s not looking for anything. She just came out of a relationship, but she, um, still has needs? So, er, we kind of agreed to be like… friends with benefits?”

“Except you’re not even friends. So it’s like _strangers_ with benefits.”

Kara hums in agreement. “Or! _Straphangers_ with benefits.”

Alex does not look remotely amused.

“Kara, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t be going home with randos on the subway. She could’ve murdered you.”

“She’s not a _complete_ stranger. She knows Brainy.”

“ _You_ don’t know Brainy! You just heard about him from Nia!”

“Whatever! It worked out. I had a great night and, look, I’m alive.”

“So you’re going to, what, sleep with this woman until Mike gets back?”

“Um, yeah, that’s pretty much the plan.” Kara says as she devotes her attention to painstakingly cutting up her waffle into small squares according to its indentations. “I’m happy, she’s happy, _Mike_ ’s happy. It all works out.”

The look on Alex’s face can only be described as one of abject pity. “Oh, sweetie. No, no, no, _no_. This is _not_ going to end well. At all.”

Kara huffs in annoyance. “You don’t know that.”

“I know _you_ , and I know that you’re not capable of having a benefits arrangement with someone without falling ass backwards in love with them.”

“That’s not going to happen.” With her fork, Kara stabs at her cut-up waffle squares, somewhat aggressively. “I’m in love with _Mike_. I’ve always been in love with Mike and I’ll always be in love with Mike. We’re going to be together when he gets back. Mike’s the end goal, Lena’s a detour.”

“Yeah, well, it’s going to be a bumpy detour- for the love of god, _why_ are you eating your waffle like that? The squares are there to hold in the syrup!”

“Because _I want to_!” Kara returns petulantly, clearly talking about more than just waffles.

“Kara. This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done. And I’m including the time that you set fire to your own hair and nearly burned the house down trying to do some spell you found on MySpace to make Troy Bolton materialize in real life and marry you.”

“Leave it alone, Alex.”

“No, I take that back. The dumbest thing you’ve ever done is to let Mike talk you into having an ‘open-ish’ long distance relationship. But this is definitely the second dumbest thing you’ve ever done.”

“Alex,” Kara spits out, her tone steely. “I said leave it alone.”

Alex mulls it over. She’s far from done, but she knows that there’s only so much she can push Kara in one day.

“Fine, but I’m reserving ‘I told you so’ rights. I don’t care if it’s petty.”

“You won’t have to,” Kara says smugly. “It’s all going to be fine.”

Alex narrows her eyes and lifts her coffee cup to her lips, mumbling lowly to herself, which maybe sounds a lot like _famous last words._ But, then again, Kara decides, it’s simply much too loud in the diner to know what Alex really said.


	2. it's a shame to be polite now

_It's a shame to be polite now  
_ _To hesitate's a sin  
_ _Coming up and up my mind, babe  
_ _And let the news rush in_  
_I wanna hold you in the gilded morning  
_ _I wanna love you in the secret night_

“I Wanna Fuck You Till I'm Dead” - YACHT

On Monday morning, when Lena enters the L-Corp lab at 7AM, she’s not at all surprised to find the doors unlocked and the lights on. Half the time, Brainy beats her in. The two of them typically work silently for a couple of precious hours before the rest of the staff start filtering in and distract them with social interactions.

Brainy has his head bent, staring into his microscope. Although he undoubtedly heard Lena come in, he doesn’t spare a second’s worth of attention away from his work.

Lena greets him with, “I hope you went home last night.”

“No, but as I interpret your statement as a question as to whether I worked all night, I can assure you that I did not.”

Normally, this would be the end of the conversation. These early morning staff-less hours are valuable, and neither of them likes to waste it. But, well, things _happened_ that weekend, and they sort of concerned Brainy.

Lena begins delicately. “Did you see Nia?”

Brainy doesn’t move, doesn’t look up from his microscope, but his smile is evident. “Yes.”

“Are things going well between you two?”

“I believe so.”

“Have you…” Now, how to phrase this. “Is it getting serious? I mean, have you met each other’s friends and such?” Clean the reels and break out the tackle box, because Lena’s going fishing for information.

“No.”

As it turns out, some fish are annoyingly unhelpful. “Nia works at CatCo, right?”

“Yes.”

“Does she talk about it?”

“Yes.”

Very, very unhelpful. Maybe she should be fishing with dynamite.

“Has Nia ever mentioned a Kara Danvers to you?”

Still glued to his microscope, Brainy hums as he thinks about the question. “Yes. One of her friends from the magazine, I believe.”

Finally, they’re getting somewhere. “What did she say about her?”

“That they work together at the magazine.”

“Is that all?”

“She’s nice. Likes food.”

“Does she also breathe air and walk on two feet?” Lena asks sarcastically.

“Well, I’d assume.”

This is probably Lena’s fault in the first place. She should’ve known that this would happen. It’s like fishing in a rain puddle.

“All right. Thanks, Brainy.”

She pauses, wondering if Brainy is finally going to ask why she’s asking these questions.

But all he says is, “Yup, okay.”

***

The next time they meet, it’s at a chocolatier near Rockefeller Center, a few blocks north from Lena’s apartment.

In the week since they’ve last seen each other, there’s been almost no communication. No calls or texts, not until Kara sends a text on Friday night asking Lena what her plans were for the next day.

Lena texts back “ _nothing_ ,” then cancels her spa plans with Sam. Sam would understand. If she knew. Which she doesn’t. Lena’s told no one of what happened. Because some part of Lena thinks that there’s really nothing to tell. Although things had gone well that night and they had exchanged numbers, she didn’t know whether she would see Kara again. She wasn’t sure that Kara would reach out. Wasn’t sure that Kara would respond if she reached out first. Wasn’t sure that Kara really wants to see her again.

She still isn’t sure, not until Kara’s sliding into the seat across from her, cheeks rosy from the cold, but wearing a dazzling, megawatt grin like she’s genuinely pleased to see her.

Or maybe it’s the spread she’s happy to see.

“I ordered, but I wasn’t sure what you wanted,” Lena explains as Kara marvels over the food on the table. There’s hot chocolates for both of them, each accompanied by a dish of decadently rich house-made whipped cream. There’s a colorful sleeve of assorted macarons, a box of champagne truffles, a chocolate eclair, and a chocolate mousse cake.

“Wow, I must have really impressed you the other night.”

“That you did.”

With a cheeky smile, Kara offers up: “Cake in the street, earthquake between the sheets?”

“Better than what you came up with last time.”

“Genius takes time.” Kara takes a sip of her hot chocolate, her face lighting up at the taste. “That’s good.”

Lena fidgets with her own cup, but doesn’t take a sip. “So I thought we’d talk about our arrangement. We didn’t really get into it last time.”

“Hey, I tried, but someone wanted to test the chemistry first.”

“It was the prudent move. Why bother with the details if we’re not compatible in bed?”

“But we are, right?” Kara asks, an eager grin on her face.

Lena rolls her eyes, but there’s a fond smile on her face. “ _Yes_ , Kara, we are. In case that wasn’t evident by my vocal appreciations last time and today’s chocolate gifts.”

“Just checking. Okay, let’s talk details.”

Kara picks up her fork, digging into the cake. She takes a bite, sucking at the fork to get at the last bit of frosting, closing her eyes to savor the rich, creamy, chocolate-y goodness, and lets out a long, drawn-out sigh of contentment. The sound reaches Lena’s ears, sending a shiver of want down her spine.

And she blurts out, “Do you want to take this to go?”

***

When Kara takes her second bite of cake, it’s hours later. She’s on Lena’s couch, naked beneath the throw blanket that’s usually kept neatly folded and draped on the couch’s back. Next to her, Lena nibbles at a macaron that Kara had thrusted into her hands.

They didn’t quite make it to the bed this time. Maybe that had been the plan, but seconds after walking through the front door, Lena found herself shoved up against the wall, Kara’s lips on hers. Before she even had the chance to take off her coat, she found herself pantsless and Kara kneeling before her, mouth at the ready. She comes like that, leaning against the wall by her front door, still wearing her jacket. Then Lena, intending to reciprocate, started to drag Kara towards the bedroom. They made it as far as the living room before, lips glued together and bodies tangled up in each other, they crashed to the floor and Lena decided to just go ahead and stick her hand between Kara’s legs right there.

“So,” Kara starts. “Details?”

Which is probably something they should’ve discussed _before_ they had sex again. Oh, well. Too late now.

Lena polishes off the macaron, using the opportunity to think about how to start this conversation. “What are your ground rules?”

Kara frowns in concentration, thinking it over. “I don’t know if I have that many. We’ve already talked about not sleeping with other people. And you already know that this ends when Mike comes back. That’s about it for me. What about you?”

Lena looks at Kara intently, holding her gaze for a beat before answering so that Kara understands how serious she is. “The second you even _think_ you might be feeling something, you have to tell me. For your sake and mine. I’m deadly serious about where I’m at emotionally. I can _not_ handle romantic entanglements right now.”

“Same,” Kara nods enthusiastically. “But you really don’t have to worry about that. My heart belongs to Mike. It always has.”

“Okay,” Lena replies, feeling herself relax a little. “I suppose there’s not much else I need. It’s not like I have a ton of experience with this.”

“So we’ll figure it out together as we go,” Kara says confidently. “And of course if you start feeling like you’re ready for a relationship and you want to start dating people, just let me know. I won’t mind. We can stop whenever.”

“Same applies for you. If you do meet somebody you’re interested in-”

“The only person I’m interested in lives in a different country right now,” Kara asserts firmly. “But yes, I’ll let you know.”

“What about things like spending the night?”

“If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me. It doesn’t bother me.”

“And what if we run into each other somewhere with our friends?”

“Um, full disclosure, I already told my sister.” Kara shifts to see if Lena’s upset by this news. When she sees Lena give a small shrug, she relaxes and pushes on. “And um, Mike. I kind of told Mike?”

That does get a reaction from Lena, but it’s curiosity more than anything else. “How did _that_ go?”

“Fine? We kinda have this agreement that we wouldn’t get too much into details. But he knows that I’ve, uh, made a new friend. Honestly, he seemed happy for me?”

“Because then he feels better about what he’s already done?”

Kara wisely decides that it’s best not to get into that subject. “Anyway, as for other people, I don’t mind telling them the truth. My friends already know what my situation with Mike is, so it’s up to you. If you don’t want us to tell anyone, we won’t.”

“I don’t mind if people know.” And if it somehow gets back to Veronica, well, that’s just a bonus. “What about non-sexual activities?”

“What, like this?” With her fork, Kara gestures at the two of them. “We’re doing okay right now, aren’t we? Not a big deal.”

“I just don’t want us to cross any boundaries.”

“The whole point of casual sex is to keep things casual, right? Seems counterintuitive to have a whole bunch of rules. I know what I want and I’m not going to get attached just because we share a plate of momos. If that’s true for you too, I don’t see why we can’t hang out.”

A pleased smile spreads across Lena’s face, feeling assuaged by Kara’s assurances. It seems like this can be easy after all.

The only thing she’s left wondering is: “What are momos?”

With a loud, startled gasp, Kara squeals, “What do you mean ‘what are momos’? They’re Nepalese dumplings. Have you never had one?”

“No?” Lena answers uncertainly, wondering what the big deal is.

And it’s almost as if Lena had said that O-Town was the best ‘90s boy band or something crazy like that, because Kara looks positively aghast at her response. “Lena! You said you’ve lived here your entire life! What have you been _doing_? What do you usually eat?”

Thoroughly baffled by Kara’s agitation over what seems to be a trivial matter, Lena answers, “Salads? Sushi? I don’t know, I usually just grab something from Whole Foods on my way home.”

“Oh, Lena,” Kara groans, sadness permeating every syllable. “No, no, no. This won’t do at all.” Then she’s throwing aside the blanket, scrambling to her feet, and grabbing for their clothes. She tosses Lena’s shirt at her. “Come on, get dressed. We’re going to Jackson Heights right now.”

“Isn’t that in Queens?”

“Yes! Now, come on, let’s go.”

Somehow, Lena, who can’t even remember when she last left Manhattan, finds herself being dragged along for an hour-long subway trip into Queens. The entire way there, Kara chatters about dumplings, from potstickers to momos to perogies to khinkali. The woman is an encyclopedia of all things dumplings.

And Lena thinks to herself that it all makes sense now. This is why this gorgeous, intelligent woman is stuck pining after some dude who’s off banging any number of women on the other side of the world.

Because Kara Danvers is a big freakin’ weirdo.

“Behold, Lena,” Kara says as she holds up a momo with her chopsticks, staring fixedly at the dumpling with a maniacal look in her eyes. They’ve made their way to their destination, a dimly lit restaurant on the main street through Jackson Heights, where Kara’s on a first name basis with the entire wait staff. “The dumpling skin is thick, but not _too_ thick, to balance out the deep, unctuousness of the beef filling. The filling may be denser than what you’re used to, more meatball-like. No need to be delicate here, we’re not handling soup dumplings.”

“Oh my god,” Lena mutters underneath her breath, wondering what the hell she’s gotten herself into.

But the big weirdo is right. The dumplings are delicious, along with all the other dishes that Kara orders, with ingredients that Lena’s never heard of, let alone identify. There’s chiura, some kind of dry, crispy rice substance; warm roti with a trio of dipping sauces; yak cheese pakora; and an intimidating-looking dish called goat bhutan.

“Okay, but what’s _in_ it?” Lena asks again after unsuccessfully trying to get Kara to explain the dish.

“Trust me, it won’t help you to know.” Seeing the distrust on Lena’s face, Kara says kindly, “You don’t have to try it.”

For Lena, these words are the opposite of the intended effect. Feeling like the gauntlet’s been thrown, she picks up an unidentifiable chunk with her chopsticks and pops it into her mouth. It’s savory, chewy, a little spicy, and not quite as weird as she expected.

“Not bad.”

“Wow.” Kara chuckles, looking thoroughly impressed. “I’ve been trying to get Mike to try that one for years.”

Through their meal, they share stories.

Kara tells Lena about the apartment she shares with her roommate Indigo, who might be certifiably insane. (“She’s so pathologically afraid of bedbugs, she literally makes me change my clothes at the door every time I come home and seal my shoes in a ziploc.”)

Lena tells Kara about the time she was caught in flagrante in the chemistry lab with another girl by a nun at her all-girls Catholic boarding school. (“The weirdest part was that she wasn’t even mad. Or surprised. She just shrugged and said ‘oh, I guess it’s you two this year’.”)

At the end of their dinner, sipping on yak butter tea, Lena discovers that she’s actually having a really good time with the big freakin’ weirdo.

And this, Lena thinks, might be the beginning of an amazing friendship.

With benefits.

***

Occasionally, Kelly joins the Danvers sisters for their traditional Sunday morning brunch at their local diner. Which is perfect, because Kelly’s a psychologist who specializes in dealing with trauma, and Alex seems to be experiencing plenty of that right now.

“What the hell do you _mean_ ‘we don’t have ground rules’?” Alex screeches, her voice cutting through diner din, drawing the attention of nearby patrons and staff. “How the hell do you not have ground rules?!” Kelly places a placating hand on Alex’s forearm, stroking gently to calm her down.

“ _Basically_ don’t have ground rules,” Kara corrects. “We don’t sleep with other people, we stop when Mike comes back, and we tell each other right away if we start to develop feelings or if we meet somebody else we’re interested in. You know, just normal, healthy, communication.”

Blinking rapidly, Alex sputters like a dying engine. “Wha- norm- health- what- how-” She forces herself to take a deep breath. “Kara. What part of this nonsense is normal and healthy to you? No rules?! Sorry, _basically_ no rules. What about texting? Talking on the phone? Birthdays, holidays? Valentine’s Day? Did you talk about any of that?”

“I don’t know, we can figure it out as we go. I don’t see the need for a complicated system when we both know where we stand. Besides, there’s an expiration date on this.”

Incredulous, Alex shakes her head. “Unbelievable. It’s like you’re not even trying to stop yourself from falling for this woman. What’s the difference between this and dating?”

“The difference is there’s a clock,” Kara replies with a shrug. “It doesn’t _matter_ if we set rules. In six months, it’s done. Nothing’s going to come from this.”

The noises Alex makes are strangled and inhuman.

Intervening, Kelly pats Alex on her hand, reminding her to relax. “Alex is just worried. She doesn’t want to see you fall for someone who can’t reciprocate those feelings.”

“I know. But, Alex, I’m an adult. You just have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”

Alex folds her arms across her chest and looks at her little sister with a mixture of frustration and resignation.

“Fine,” she says. “But I’m still reserving ‘I told you so’ rights.”

***

“Something’s different about you,” Andrea says.

They’re having drinks at one of Andrea’s favorite cocktail bars, a swanky, noisy joint in Midtown with overpriced drinks. Sam perks up at the subject, but says nothing and merely raises her glass to her lips as she watches Lena for her reaction.

Briefly, Lena considera deflection. But why? It’s not supposed to be a secret.

“I’ve been having casual sex with a woman I met on the subway who has a boyfriend in Germany.”

There would be silence, except there’s nowhere that’s silent in this bar. So what they hear is normal bar sounds, glasses clinking, babbling chatter, raucous laughter.

“Yeah, that was _not_ my guess,” Sam says. “I just thought you bought new shoes.”

Looking pained and already knowing the answer, Lena nevertheless asks, “Do we really need to talk about this?”

“Uh, _yes_ ,” Andrea says emphatically. “What else are we going to talk about? Ruby’s soccer game? Again?”

“ _Hey_.”

“Apologies, apologies, love her to death, kisses, love, happiness,” Andrea tosses out at Sam. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us. How long has this been going on?”

“Just a couple of weeks and we’ve only met up twice. It’s very casual and superficial, but it’s been good and distracting.”

“You said you met on the subway?” Sam questions. “Seriously?”

“It was the day we ran into Veronica at brunch.” Even now, recalling the event weeks after, it fills Lena with a sense of dread and pain. “I was a mess on the way home. And Kara, she… well, she just walked up and offered me donuts to try and make me feel better. We got to talking from there. It turns out we know some people in common.”

“This random woman offered you donuts on the subway?” Andrea looks perturbed at the thought. “She sounds crazy.”

_Crazy good in bed_ , Lena thinks as she says, “She’s normal enough.”

“But, Lena, she has a boyfriend.” Sam’s in worried mom mode, sitting on the edge of her seat, brows knitted in concern.

“That’s not an issue. They have an open relationship.”

Andrea emits a disgruntled, disbelieving snort. “Yeah, okay, I’ve heard that one before.”

Stiffening, Lena feels - probably irrationally - offended by the comment. “Kara’s not like that.”

“Sticking up for her already.” Lena does _not_ like that mischievous glint in Andrea’s eyes. “Are you sure it’s as casual as you say?”

“Completely. It’s the perfect arrangement. Neither of us are emotionally available. I’m trying to get over Veronica and she has a boyfriend. He’s apparently the love of her life. It’s a cute story.”

“As cute as a subway donut meet-cute?”

“It wasn’t a meet-cute. It was just a regular meet.”

Undeterred, Andrea presses on, “Okay, but I remember your ‘casual hookups’, Lena. They _all_ want something more eventually.”

“That’s true,” Sam supplements. “Didn’t you and Veronica start off as a casual thing?”

“It’s a gift and a curse,” Andrea says. “They all fall for Lena Luthor eventually.”

“Not this one,” Lena responds, willing herself to feel as confident as she sounds.

“Tread carefully,” Andrea cautions anyway. “And do something gross like burp in her face so she doesn’t fall for you.”

Sam helpfully adds, “Tell her that you’re really into Ayn Rand.”

“Show absolute zero interest when she tells you a story. In fact, unless you’re having sex, never look up from your phone. Oh- or even better, stare at your phone during sex too.”

“Make her pay for everything, except for a hotdog this one time at a minor league baseball game, then a week later, ask her to pay you back with interest.”

Lena arches a brow at Sam. “That was far too specific to be random.”

Sam shrugs nonchalantly. “High school boyfriend. We all make mistakes.”

“All in all,” Andrea concludes. “Just try to be less of your perfect self.”

***

It’s Lena who texts first this time. For the third Saturday in a row, Kara shows up at Lena’s apartment.

They don’t say much to each other before they get down to business. They know what the point is. They know what the other person wants. And maybe, on some level that neither will admit to, they remember the conversations they had with their respective concerned friends and family that week, casting a pall over their willingness to engage socially.

At least it doesn’t affect the sex. That part just seems to be getting better, as they learn each other’s bodies, talking one another through what works and what doesn’t.

They make it to a bed this time. Almost. Kara’s half-on the bed, legs dangling over the edge, spread apart for Lena, who’s kneeling on the floor, head buried between her thighs. Lena’s tongue laps at Kara’s clit while she pumps her fingers in and out.

When Lena sucks, and Kara gasps out, “Not so hard.” So then Lena learns when to ease off before it gets to be too much. Kara grunts and digs her fingers into Lena’s hair; Lena knows she’s close, so keeps up the tempo until Kara stiffens and comes.

The lessons go the other way too. When Kara recovers, she pulls Lena on top of her. She starts caressing Lena’s breasts, only to have Lena grab her hand and shove them down.

“Can’t wait,” Lena pants impatiently. “Need your fingers now.” So then Kara learns when Lena’s had enough foreplay.

When Lena starts making a certain guttural grunt, Kara knows that it’s time to change the angle of her thrust to bring her to completion. Lena comes, crying out in ecstasy as she clenches around Kara’s finger, then sags, sated, against the blonde. Kara gives Lena a moment to recover. Then she gently rolls Lena off her, but keeps the woman in her arms.

“Notes?”

“Um…” Lena tries to think through the mental fog. “Good. Really good. Uh. You can be a little rougher if you’d like, but it’s all really, really good. Really, really, really good.”

Kara presses a kiss to Lena’s shoulder, hiding a proud grin. “Can I get another really?”

Playfully, Lena swats at her. “Don’t make me regret inflating your ego.”

Feeling cold, Lena pulls the sheet up around them. They lie like this, side-by-side, for a while. After a few minutes, Kara rolls off the bed and starts looking around for her clothes. Lena watches her from the bed, unmoving. She feels compelled to say something, although she’s not quite sure what.

“You can stay if you want.”

“Um…” It’s clear that Kara’s looking for an excuse when she doesn’t have one. She finds her shirt draped on the dresser, where Lena had carelessly flung it.

Helping, Lena comes in with, “Sunday brunch with Alex?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Kara pulls her shirt over her head, then moves to pick up her jeans off the floor. “I have to meet Alex in the morning.”

“Not at all,” Lena responds, feeling something that she chooses to label as relief. “I’ll get you an Uber.”

“No, I can take the subway.”

“It’s the least I can do.”

In the midst of slipping on her sweater, Kara’s movements slow. “I’d really prefer it if you didn’t. It, just, um, makes me funny, like you’re paying me to leave?”

That strikes a chord. Not a good one. Lena sits up in bed, letting the sheet fall to the side and baring her torso. No point in modesty after what they just did.

“I would never do that to you.”

“No, I know. It just- I’d just prefer it if you didn’t. It would just feel, um, transactional, you know?”

“It wouldn’t feel quite as transactional if you stayed over,” Lena suggests.

“I know, I know.” Now fully dressed, Kara stands in the middle of Lena’s bedroom, looking awkward and sheepish, putting her hands in her pocket, then taking them back out, like she doesn’t know what to do with them. “But, um, I can’t. So.”

That’s it then. Lena doesn’t see the point in forcing the issue. Kara doesn’t want to stay. Lena’s offered twice now, already once more than her pride would normally permit. She reaches for her robe, tugging it on as she moves towards the door.

“I’ll walk you out.”

She leads Kara out the bedroom, down the hallway to the front door, which she opens and then steps to the side to allow Kara passage. Kara shrugs on her winter coat and lingers at the doorway. Lena leans against the door, waiting for her to leave.

“I, um, had a good time tonight,” Kara says.

“Same.” If Lena sounds a little stiff, it’s just because she’s tired and would like to go to bed. So she insists on thinking to herself.

“Okay,” Kara says in response to nothing. She’s still standing in the doorway, and Lena just doesn’t get it. Kara wants to leave. So she should.

Lena inclines her head toward the outside hallway. “Goodnight, Kara.”

“Right,” Kara mutters, taking her dismissal in stride. She leans forward and kisses Lena on the cheek. “Good night, Lena.”

“Good night.” Lena closes the door behind Kara’s departing figure. She leans against the door, closing her eyes, feeling… she’s not quite sure what.

Bed. She should go to bed.

As Lena heads towards her bedroom, she hears two soft knocks sounding at the door. She pauses, heart rate spiking in anticipation.

It is, of course, who she thinks it is.

“Hey.” Kara’s wearing a shy smile, hands shoved deep into her coat pocket, rocking back and forth on her feet. “I’m kind of hungry. You wanna go get an arepa with me?”

Lena chooses not to label what she feels in the moment.

She just says, “Give me a minute to get dressed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Lena and Kara Netflix and chill.


	3. maybe we’re a fault line

_Maybe we're a fault line  
_ _Maybe we're a phone line ready to break_  
_Maybe you're a time bomb  
_ _I don't care what your boyfriends say_

“Saturdays” - Twin Shadow ft. Haim

It first happens on a Wednesday.

Kara texts Lena. And it’s just a picture of a random dog on the street. Followed up by the message, “ _Doesn’t this dog look like Chewbacca_?”

It’s the first time she’s texting about something other than coming over for sex, requiring some kind of response from Lena other than “okay, come over” or “can you do an hour later?” Lena’s left at a bit of a loss.

Which is somewhat ridiculous, because they’ve had full-on meals together and many hours of conversation, and Lena would have no problem coming up with a response if Kara had said it during one of those times. Somehow, this perfectly innocuous message feels somewhat threatening when it’s being texted at 1:25PM on a Tuesday afternoon instead of at a late-night post-coital dinner.

So Lena texts back a cry-laughing emoji and hates herself a little bit for it.

She locks her phone away in her desk and refuses to look at it for the rest of the day.

But when it’s time to go home, she finally takes her phone back out and sees that Kara hasn’t texted anything more, she has to admit that she feels a bit disappointed.

***

It’s Friday night, and Kara’s with Alex and Kelly at their favorite neighborhood bar, a dark, drabby dive with vaguely Irish origins that hipsters have yet to ruin. While Kelly’s at the bar getting them another round, Alex’s telling Kara about her crazy week at work, the endless stream of unlikely drama that gets inflicted on her hospital on a weekly basis.

“And I’m just like, ‘when the hell do you people even have time to hook up in the on call room?’ Like am I the only doctor here who works? Some dude’s coding in the hallway, but sure, take half an hour to talk about your relationship status with your best friend’s wife’s brother.”

Except that Kara’s not exactly listening. She’s staring down at the cellphone in her lap. Annoyed, Alex gives her a little kick under the table. “Hey. Earth to Kara.”

Kara looks up abashedly, but doesn’t put her phone away. “Sorry, just working out the time with Lena tomorrow.”

Alex tries not to look judgmental. She fails, but at least she tries. “You’re going to see her again?”

“It’s Saturday. That’s when we see each other.”

“Oh, _good,_ a weekly standing _date_ that you plan out. Fantastic.”

“Alex.”

Alex heaves a heavy sigh of resignation and tries to switch from Judgmental Big Sister to Supportive Big Sister. “Okay, so… tell me about it then. I mean, not _it_. Just generally. Like, I don’t know, where does she live?”

“She’s in Midtown.”

Alex looks confused. “You mean like Murray Hill?”

“No, I mean Midtown. Like Bryant Park.”

Alex looks even more confused. “Nobody _lives_ in Midtown.”

“Lena does. She has a two-bedroom over the park.”

Alex stares at her. “Kara. Just how rich is this woman?”

“I don’t know.” Kara’s starting to feel a little defensive under this line of questioning. “I don’t exactly go over there to balance her checkbook.”

“Eww. Also, who balances checkbooks anymore?”

“You know what I mean. That stuff doesn’t matter.”

Kelly returns with their drinks then, and as she sets it down on the table, Alex tells her, “Kara’s dating a millionaire.”

“Oh? Did Mike win the lottery?”

“No, Lena,” Alex says. “Lena’s a millionaire.”

“Good for Lena.” Kelly slides into the booth beside Alex. “But Kara’s not dating Lena. They’re just having fun.”

“Thank you, Kelly,” Kara expresses with a mixture of gratitude and exasperation. She shimmies out of her side of the booth, making her way towards the bathroom. “Now, when I get back, can we please talk about something else?”

Once Kara’s out of earshot, Alex crossly says to her girlfriend, “You’re not helping.”

“ _You’re_ not helping, dear.” Although her words are harsh, her tone is gentle. “Respect what Kara’s telling you. She’s dating Mike. She loves Mike. Lena’s just fun.”

“It’s going to end in disaster. You know it is.” With Kara out of the scene, Alex finally lets her distress rise to the surface, allowing the panic she feels to reflect in her voice. “She’s going to fall so hard for this Lena woman. I don’t want to see her get hurt.”

“Mm-hmm.” Kelly gives her best _I hear you_ psychologist nod. “But it’s Kara’s disaster to make and Kara’s disaster to handle. Your job is to make sure she feels safe and supported enough with you to turn to you when she needs help picking up the pieces.”

“I can’t just do nothing.”

“You didn’t. You‘ve already shared your concerns with Kara. Several times. She hasn’t changed her mind. Do you think badgering her about it is going to make a difference?”

“So I’m not even supposed to try and resuscitate,” Alex replies sourly. “I’m just supposed to sit here and watch her crash?”

“It’s more like she’s coming in with a cut on her arm and you go straight to suggesting amputation and you won’t take no for an answer. She’s going to run away and not come back even when sepsis sets in.”

“I hate that analogy actually makes sense to me and that you somehow still sound really hot talking about sepsis.”

Kelly puts her arm around Alex, pulling her in tight. “Love you too.”

***

**Lena Luthor (11:10):** Hey.

**Kara Danvers (11:10):** Hi!

**Kara Danvers (11:10):** I’m getting us some bagels from my local place.

**Kara Danvers (11:11):** I should be there within the hour.

**Lena Luthor (11:11):** I’m sorry, I should’ve texted you earlier. I meant to catch you before you left.

**Kara Danvers (11:11):**? What’s up?

**Lena Luthor (11:11):** I have to cancel our plans.

**Kara Danvers (11:11):** OK sure

**Kara Danvers (11:12):** Everything okay?

**Lena Luthor (11:12):** Everything’s fine.

**Kara Danvers (11:13):** OK

**Kara Danvers (11:15):** Are you sure?

**Lena Luthor (11:15):** Yes. I’m fine. But it’s not a good time.

**Kara Danvers (11:15):** I’m getting worried.

**Kara Danvers (11:15):** What’s wrong?

**Lena Luthor (11:16):** Nothing’s wrong.

**Lena Luthor (11:16):** I’m just feeling a bit under the weather.

**Kara Danvers (11:16):** Oh no! Are you sick?

**Kara Danvers (11:16):** Is it bad?

**Kara Danvers (11:16):** Could it be the flu? Did you get your flu shot??

**Kara Danvers (11:16):** Do you need soup?

**Lena Luthor (11:17):** No, no, no, yes, maybe.

**Kara Danvers (11:17):** I’m so confused.

**Lena Luthor (11:19):** I started my period.

**Lena Luthor (11:19):** I’m not up for a hookup right now.

**Lena Luthor (11:20):** I didn’t want you to waste your time coming over for nothing.

**Kara Danvers (11:20):** OMG you’re ridiculous.

**Kara Danvers (11:20):** I’ll see you soon.

**Kara Danvers (11:21):** And I’m bringing soup.

***

Kara shows up at her door with two quarts of soup (one matzoh ball, one tomato basil), bagels, cream cheese, dark chocolates, cookies, three pints of ice cream, and a scowl. She breezes past Lena, making her way toward the kitchen. Lena watches her, feeling inadequate. She’s dressed in black sweats for comfort, her hair pulled back in a loose, messy bun. She was too crampy and tired to bother with makeup, and now, looking upon Kara with her perfect skin and rosy cheeks, regrets that choice.

The first thing Kara says is, “I can’t _believe_ you thought that I wouldn’t come over just because we’re not going to have sex.”

Lena trails Kara into the kitchen just as the blonde shrugs off her coat. Wordlessly, Lena takes the coat from her and deposits it on a nearby dining chair. Kara’s sporting a blue fitted cashmere sweater and dark blue slacks, the combination of which work together to accentuate taut muscles and curves. Again, Lena regrets her choices that morning. Self-consciously, she pulls at the hem of her loosely-fitted sweatshirt. Why did she think it would be a good idea for Kara to see her like this?

“Isn’t that the point of our arrangement?”

“I thought we agreed that we could hang out?” Kara sticks the ice cream in the freezer and shuts the door, leaning against its frame. “Unless you don’t want to? Did you want to be alone?”

“No,” Lena says hastily. “I’m, I’m really glad you’re here. I just didn’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Like I said, you’re ridiculous. I like hanging out with you.”

“You do?”

That look of skepticism and disbelief hits Kara harder than she thought it would. “ _Yes_ ,” she spits out emphatically. “How is this a question? You’re fun and funny and warm and smart and just, like, really awesome to be around.”

Lena tugs at and twirls an errant stand of hair, feeling overwhelmed by the compliments. “One of the reasons that Veronica broke up with me is that she said that I was ‘joyless’ to be around. That kind of thing… stays with a person.”

A flash of anger crosses Kara’s face, but it disappears quickly. No need to let Lena dwell on this. “Veronica’s an idiot. Now, come on, get your butt to the couch. We’re going to Netflix and really just chill.”

That’s how they spend their afternoon. They watch TV, they eat snacks, and after some feeble protests, Lena lets Kara fawn and fuss over her. Kara jumps up to fetch her aspirin and ice cream. Kara takes her bowl away when she’s done. Kara keeps one arm loosely draped about her shoulders, gently and non-sexually caressing her arm.

When night falls, Kara orders pizza for them. She lets Lena pick the toppings and orders side salads without Lena needing to ask.

“You’re spoiling me,” Lena tells her. She almost makes a joke about how if Kara keeps it up, she’ll never want Kara to leave. Wisely, she thinks better of it before she says it. “I’ll have to return the favor soon.”

“You’ll be waiting a while. I skip mine. Birth control.”

“Right. Because of the boyfriend. Yes.” It’s unnervingly easy to forget that detail.

“Yes and no? It’s just nice not having to deal with having a period every month. Anyway, you’re reaping the benefits now. What if our cycles never sync up? The six months we have together would be more like three.”

“Five now,” Lena reminds her. “Mike comes back in five months.”

“Oh.” Kara’s tone suggests that she hadn’t considered that. But it’s true. “I didn’t realize it was already… um, yes. You’re right. We have five months left.”

Kara turns her attention back to the TV, but she’s too distracted to know what’s going on with the movie they’re watching, some ridiculous holiday romcom.

After a moment, with her eyes still glued to the TV, Kara asks, “Hey, what if… I mean, I was wondering-” This isn’t working, so Kara tries again, this time turning away from the screen to face Lena. “So, I mean, I work downtown and I pass through this area everyday. What if… what if I stopped by after work some time?”

“You want to see each other on weekdays?”

“If you want.”

“I… well, I usually work pretty late.”

And Kara says, “Oh.”

Before awkwardness can claim the moment, Lena quickly adds, “But I can make it work if you give me a heads up.”

Kara grins. “I can do that.”

Their food comes and they eat their dinner at the dining table, because Lena’s the sort of person who _has_ a dining table in her Manhattan apartment instead of eating off the living room coffee table like a common peasant.

Kara tells Lena about her childhood growing up in Krypton. She tries to explain ice-fishing. Lena tells Kara about boarding school. She tries to explain dressage. Neither of them really “gets it” but it doesn’t matter. They understand each other even if they don’t understand the subject matter. They listen to one another, truly listen, instead of thinking of the next thing to say.

“Hey,” Kara says at one point, holding up her folded-up slice of pizza.

Lena looks at her quizzically. “Yes?”

“Pizza in the streets, pizzazz between the sheets?”

When Lena groans, Kara lets out a loud, pleased cackle.

After dinner, they watch another movie and cuddle up close next to each other on the couch. It’s well past midnight when Lena yawns and Kara takes that as her cue to go.

From the couch, Lena watches Kara gather up her things. And before she can stop herself, she says, “You could stay.” Kara’s movements falter. She looks up at Lena, who already knows the answer. “All right. Goodnight then, Kara.”

“It’s just that-”

“Brunch with Alex. I know.”

Except that Lena knows that’s an excuse. And Kara does too. But it’s easier not to pry. So Lena walks her to the door and kisses her goodnight.

She doesn’t get it. Not one bit. Kara will come over, fawn over her, ask to spend more time with her, and then balk at the idea of spending the night when they’ve both already agreed that it would be fine if she did. It doesn’t make sense.

Then again, very little about this arrangement makes sense.

***

On Tuesday, Kara texts Lena with a picture of a cat that looks like Salvadore Dali.

Lena texts back, “ _That’s adorable_.” Then, after a moment’s hesitation, “ _Not as adorable as you, obviously._ ”

Kara sends back ten heart-eyes emojis. Then she asks how Lena’s day is going.

When Lena finally puts her phone back down, it’s forty-five minutes later, she now has dinner plans, and there are thirty new emails in her inbox screaming for her attention.

Brainy side-eyes her when she leaves the office at 6PM.

“Get well soon!” he calls after her. Lena realizes that she never leaves the office this early unless she’s sick.

She meets Kara downtown at a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant that Andrea had once mentioned. It’s the kind of place that prints out its short daily menu on elegantly flimsy paper, only lists a string of ingredients in lieu of a dish name, and there’s nothing for sale that’s even close to a single-digit price. The waiter comes by to explain the menu, along with the tidbit that it’s a “family-style, à la carte tapas-inspired” restaurant and the helpful suggestion that each person order at least three to four dishes.

Kara hums in acknowledgement. She thanks the waiter and turns her attention back to the menu, studying it carefully, a slight crease between her eyebrows where there wasn’t one before. Lena could guess at what caused it.

“By the way,” she says casually. “This one’s on me.”

Predictably, Kara sets down her menu with a frown. “No, we’ll split it.”

“Nonsense. You paid for everything last time.”

“Last time?” It takes Kara a moment to remember. “You mean the snacks and the pizza? That was nothing. This place is way more expensive.”

“You bought a ton of chocolates and ice cream.”

“Which I brought over without asking, and most of which I ate.”

“And I’m the one who suggested this place. You paid last time, I’ll pay this time, and you’ll get the next one. That’s fair, isn’t it?” Before Kara can offer a rebuttal, the waiter comes back. Lena takes both menus and passes them over. “We’ll have one of everything.”

After the waiter leaves, Lena is left with Kara gaping at her from across the table. “Lena…”

“It’s a small menu anyway.”

Despite her protests, it’s evident that Kara is positively thrilled. With each dish they bring, her eyes light up. She savors every bite she takes, sometimes even moaning in deep appreciation.

“That duck nigiri was _so_ good. And that lobster with beef heart with aji panca? _Uhhh_.” Despite having demolished twelve (albeit small) plates of food, Kara somehow still manages to look mournful that the food is gone.

“We can order more.”

“I can’t have another bite. I’ll die.”

“But what about dessert?”

“...okay, maybe just one to share.”

After they split a black sesame ice cream, Lena pays the bill, and the two of them head back into the cold night. Without hesitation, Kara loops her arm through Lena’s as they walk, huddled up close together to fight off the chilly wind.

“That was such an amazing meal. Thank you so much for that. That was really generous of you.”

“It’s nothing,” Lena replies. And it’s true, very true. To her, the sum is a pittance. But she’s aware that for Kara, with her junior reporter’s salary, the meal is a treat. It’s with that in mind that she says, “You know, we should do things like this more often. I like having dinner with you.”

“I like it too.” Kara tightens her hold on Lena in affection.

“So it’s settled then. We‘ll take turns taking each other out to dinner. When it’s my turn, I’ll pick the place and foot the bill. You can do the same when it’s your turn. And now we don’t need to have another conversation about it.”

Kara tilts her head to the side, regarding the other woman with suspicion. “Why do I feel like you’re up to something?”

“I want to take you to places that my friends and I would normally go. And I’d like you to take me to places that you and _your_ friends would normally go. I think we can acknowledge that there’s going to be a difference in monetary cost and that’s okay. It doesn’t matter. What matters is us enjoying each other’s company and sharing our experiences.”

“Wow,” Kara says softly.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just, I just never thought that I’d have a sugar mama.”

Lena makes a face, then lightly thumps Kara on the arm. “Oh, stop. I like hanging out with you too, Kara. If you want to stay in and order pizza every time, then that’s what we’ll do. But if you’re amenable, I’d like to take you to, say, Eleven Madison Park. Purely out of selfish reasons. I like you, I like fancy food, and it would give me great pleasure to combine the two.”

There’s no use in pretending that Kara isn’t immensely excited by the prospect of going to dinner at a fancy restaurant that costs more than a thousand dollars for two people. “I mean, I’d have to be crazy to say no to that. I just want to make sure that you don’t feel… taken advantage of?”

“Oh, Kara,” Lena replies with a feigned dramatic sigh. “I like you, but you should know that you’re not likely to get me to do anything that wasn’t my idea in the first place. I’m stubborn and immune to influence.”

Kara stops walking, so suddenly that Lena nearly trips in the process. Lena takes a step back so that they’re aligned next to one another again. They’re in the middle of the sidewalk, but they’ve wandered off onto a residential street currently void of pedestrians.

There’s a challenging, almost predatory, glint in Kara’s eyes. “Yeah?”

Feeling a thrilling shiver pass over her, Lena takes a step closer, and with a defiant jut of her chin, responds coolly, “Yeah.”

Kara’s hands slip to Lena’s waist, gloved hands gripping firmly. With a rough tug, she pulls the brunette close until their bodies are flush together. For a moment, they study one another. Slowly, Kara leans in, brushes her lips gently against Lena’s. Kara’s lips are cold and slightly chapped, but Lena finds herself surging forward, eager for a taste. Kara parts her lips, tongue meeting Lena’s in gentle, lazy strokes. They make out on the empty street, unheeding of the world.

When they stop, neither moves away. Foreheads pressed together, they keep huddled close, warmed in the cold night by the proximity and charged energy between them.

“Joke’s on you,” Lena remarks hoarsely. “I wanted you to do that.”

“Good joke,” Kara whispers back. “Excellent joke.”

They make their way to the subway, where they take the train uptown toward Lena’s stop. As the train approaches her station, she looks over to Kara and thinks about asking whether she should ask, again, if Kara wants to come spend the night. She knows what the answer will be, but the impulse to ask anyway is there and stronger than she would have expected. But before she can make up her mind, the train slows to a stop and the doors are opening. With a rushed hug, she says goodnight and hurries out of the train. On the platform, she stops and turns to wave at Kara just as the doors slide close.

They watch one another until the train pulls away.

***

The rest of Kara’s friends find out at their Thursday night game night.

Kara’s not sure why they don’t know already, and if you asked her, she would just say that it hasn’t come up. There’s just not very many opportunities to organically work in, “By the way, I’ve been casually banging this rich woman I met on the New York City subway” in a normal conversation.

They’re gathered in the living room of Alex and Kelly’s apartment, surrounding the coffee table, where a game of Pandemic is stalled while Winn reviews the rules _again_. While he does, Nia’s telling everyone about how Brainy finally, _finally_ asked her to make it official and be his girlfriend.

She’s sharing a funny story: “I was so nervous that he wasn’t really into me. As it turned out, he was just super nervous that I wasn’t into him! He told me that after our second date, he actually ordered like a year’s worth of the magazine’s old issues just so he could learn more about my work.”

As everyone coos and awws over the story, Kara says, “I’m so glad he finally told you! I was wondering if he would.”

Which naturally led to a perplexed Nia asking, “Wait, how do _you_ know that story?”

Kara feels everyone’s eyes on her. Nia, James and Winn looking on curiously. Alex, clearly trying not to look judgmental. Kelly, thankfully neutral.

“So, um, funny story. I actually met someone a few weeks ago who knows Brainy.”

“You did?!” Nia squeals. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Well, she wasn’t really supposed to tell me the story. It just slipped out. We didn’t want to meddle. It’s better if he told you.”

“I was wondering why you’ve been encouraging me to be patient with him. I get why you didn’t, but I kind of wish I knew earlier. It would’ve been a relief to know he felt the same way.” Nia looks a little annoyed, but grudgingly understanding. “What else did she say about Brainy?”

“Nothing, really. It hasn’t come up again.”

“Again?” Nia raises her eyebrows. “So you’ve met her more than once? Who is this person?”

“Yeah, um…” Kara starts peeling at the label of her beer bottle as a distraction. “So we’ve… kind of been, um… meeting up regularly, to um, well- so, like, the thing is, we’re sort of… um, well, we’re like… uh-”

“They’re sleeping together,” Alex breaks in.

“Alex!”

“You were taking forever!”

Kara crosses her arms, trying to seem miffed, although truthfully, she’s glad that Alex jumped in. She really didn’t have a plan for how she was going to finish that sentence.

By now, the entire room’s attention is intensely focused on her. Even Winn has stopped reading the rules. The questions come tumbling in all at once:

“Who _is_ she?!” Nia squeaks.

“What?!” Winn cries out.

“Wait, how long has this been going on?” James asks.

Nia demands, “Why didn’t we know about this?”

James comes in with, “How did you two meet?”

“How did this happen?” Nia again.

“Whaaaaat?!” Winn repeats.

Kara waits for the questions to die down before she calmly answers, “It’s been a little over a month. I don’t know why we haven’t talked about this. It just hasn’t come up? And um, we met… um… well, we met on the subway.”

_So_ helpfully, Alex adds, “They actually slept together that first day within like, an hour of meeting each other.”

The ensuing chorus of stunned gasps and squeals is deafening.

“ _Thank you,_ Alex,” Kara says stiffly. “And it was… more than an hour.”

“More than five hours?”

Kara decides that it’s best not to answer her sister’s question.

“I did _not_ know you had it in you,” Winn remarks, sounding awed.

“And she’s loaded,” Alex says. “I think she might be a millionaire. She has a two-bedroom over Bryant Park.”

James lets out a low, impressed whistle.

“Okay, now I _really_ need to know who it is. How does she know Brainy?” Nia narrows her eyes. “It’s not an ex, is it?”

“No, a coworker. Um, Lena.”

“Lena?” Nia repeats, confusion evident on her face . “Who is- wait, you mean Lena _Luthor_?”

Kara nods. “Yeah, that’s her.”

“Um, Kara,” Nia says slowly. “Lena’s not Brainy’s coworker. She’s his _boss_.”

“Oh, okay.” That clearly signifies nothing to Kara, not even with the meaningful way Nia’s staring at her.

So Nia tries to explain it. “No, Kara, Brainy works for L-Corp. Lena Luthor’s the ‘L’ in L-Corp. She _owns_ the company. She’s not a millionaire, she’s a billionaire.”

This time, there’s just silence.

It’s Kelly who reacts first. “I’m sorry, did you say ‘billionaire’ with a ‘B’?”

“Holy shit,” James says.

Again, Winn: “Whaaaaaaat?”

“Wow,” Alex mutters. “Suddenly that two-bedroom in Midtown seems… quaint?”

“Lena’s not a billionaire,” Kara says, starting to feel a little lightheaded. “She takes the subway. Billionaires don’t take the subway.”

Nia looks flabbergasted. “How did you not know this? Do you not google the person you’re sleeping with?”

Clearly, the answer is no. Kara can only give a helpless shrug.

Nia pulls out her phone. She searches for Lena Luthor, pulls up a New York Times profile on L-Corp, and shows it to her friends. There’s a photo of Lena at the top, with the caption _Lena Luthor, the founder of L-Corp, is one of the world’s youngest billionaires._

“See? Billionaire with a B.”

“Oh my god,” Kara moans softly as reality slowly starts to sink in.

“ _That’s_ Lena?” Alex jabs a finger at the photo. Kara nods weakly. “Wow. Okay. Um. All right then.”

Kelly says to Alex, “It suddenly makes a lot more sense that Kara went home with her after like an hour, huh?” Much to Kara’s chagrin, Alex nods along in agreement.

“It was more than an hour,” comes Kara’s feeble protest, not that anyone’s paying attention.

“Uh,” Winn pipes up. “Can she pay off my student loans?”

“Can she pay off _all_ our student loans?” Nia adds.

“Oh my god,” Alex groans as a horrifying thought pops into her mind. “Is she _Fifty Shades_ -ing you? Did she make you sign a contract? Kara, you have to tell me if she did.”

Looking revolted, Kara vehemently denies, “What?! No! It’s nothing like that!”

James says, “So you randomly met a hot billionaire on the subway and you just… start sleeping together? Stuff like that _just_ _happens_ to you while the rest of us are futilely swiping away on Tinder?”

“Does she have a sister?” Winn asks. “Or brother. Cousin. Uncle. Grandmother. I’m not picky.”

“Or if you two are done when Mike comes back,” James says with a teasing lilt. “Can I have her number?”

Bursting, Kara forcefully and sharply cries out, “STOP IT!”

They instantly quiet, shocked by Kara’s sudden intensity.

Glaring at her friends, Kara jumps to her feet. “Lena is this absolutely incredible woman and it’s so dismissive that you’re all focusing on her money and her looks when that stuff doesn’t even make the top ten or twenty list of amazing things about her. It’s just, it’s not nice to talk about her like her wealth’s the most important thing. She’s so much more than that, but none of you have any idea.”

Her friends exchange awkward, slightly frightened looks, all making this mental note to themselves: _Do not joke about Lena. Kara does not have a sense of humor about Lena Luthor_.

“We’re sorry,” Alex is the first to say. “We’re just joking around because the whole billionaire thing threw us.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she’s really lovely.” Kelly takes Kara’s hand, pulling her back down to a seated position.

James, Winn, and Nia all follow up with their own murmured, overlapping apologies. Now mollified (and more than a little embarrassed at the eruption which even surprised herself), Kara mumbles something about getting back to the game. They do, and no one brings up Lena again for the rest of the evening.

Later, after everyone’s gone, Kelly and Alex are at the kitchen sink, Kelly rinsing off soapy dishes and passing them over to Alex for drying. Staring off into space, Alex takes a plate and cursorily runs a tea towel over it.

“Kara’s seeing a hot _billionaire_ ,” she says.

“Sleeping with, not seeing,” Kelly corrects gently.

Alex snorts derisively. “You saw her reaction tonight. Clearly, it’s not just that.” Alex puts the plate away in the cupboard next to the sink. Kelly holds out a rinsed mug and Alex takes it, but does nothing. “Kelly. I’m scared.” Sensing the importance of the moment, Kelly stops what she’s doing, turning off the water and shifting her body toward Alex to give her full attention.

“For Kara?”

“Yeah. Look, Kara’s incredible and nobody on this earth knows that better than me, but… I can’t help but think…”

“‘What is this hot billionaire doing running around with my sister?’”

Alex gives an acknowledging shrug. “They’re just from such different worlds. I just don’t trust the situation.”

“Trust Lena, you mean. Because she’s rich.”

“Because she’s _unimaginably_ rich. What does a woman like that have in common with a staff writer for some magazine?”

“Then I suppose it’s a good thing that it’s not going anywhere. It’ll be done in a few months.”

Alex rolls her eyes, scoffing at the thought. “Kara will be head over heels by then. I’m just so afraid that this Lena Luthor’s going to crush her. Kara, she’s… she has such a big heart. She doesn’t know how to protect herself.”

“So she’s better off with Mike?”

“At least Mike Matthews is predictable. I _know_ Mike. I can predict the kind of bullshit he’d pull.” Absent-mindedly, Alex starts drying the mug she’s still holding in her hands. “I wonder if Mike even knows that Kara’s sleeping with a hot billionaire. I wonder if he feels threatened. I mean, he _should_. If I was him, I’d be on the first flight back.”

Taking the cue from Alex, Kelly resumes her chore as well. “Probably not. He and Kara don’t talk specifics, right? Are you going to tell him?”

Alex looks deeply tempted by the thought. But then she shakes her head. “No. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Mike’s just going to have to deal with the consequences. Kara too. You’re right, it’s her disaster to deal with. I can’t interfere. I just have to be here for her when it falls apart.”

“ _If_ it falls apart,” Kelly rebuts optimistically.

“No,” Alex replies, equal parts sad and confident. “When.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter: Alex decides to be supportive.


	4. let it grow into everything

_From a tree a forest grows  
_ _It could turn into anything  
_ _It's okay to let it grow  
_ _Let it grow into everything_  
_I don’t wanna be the one who goes and fades and fades away  
_ _I don't wanna be another memory_

“Let It Grow” - Maximum Balloon (ft. Karen O. & Tunde Adebimpe)

Alex decides that she’s going to be supportive about the arrangement. This idiotic, doomed-to-fail, conceived-by-apes arrangement.

“Supportive,” Kelly reminds her. “Also apes are highly intelligent creatures. You might have picked koalas.”

When Kara comes over for dinner that night, she finds three glass jars on the kitchen counter, each with a yellow sticky note stuck to it.

“What’s this?” She asks, perusing the notes, which are labeled as ‘Twizzlers,’ ice cream,’ and ‘bail.’

“I’ve decided to be supportive!” Alex exclaims. From the living room (which is only a few steps away - this is New York City after all), Kelly sighs. “Of your arrangement with Lena. So I’m going to start depositing my change in these jars.”

“Um, okay. How is this supportive?”

Alex grins, clearly delighted that Kara asked. She strides over and taps the first jar. “This is your Twizzlers fund, because that’s your anxious snack, for when you inevitably realize that you’ve fallen in love with Lena.” She taps the second jar. “This is your ice cream fund, for your wallowing when Lena crushes you emotionally.” She touches the last jar. “And this is your bail fund, for your arrest for causing a public disturbance when you make some stupid grand romantic gesture to declare your love, like rushing the stage at a concert or stopping traffic in the middle of rush hour. But please don’t try to rush to the airport before her plane takes off. I do _not_ have enough money to fight the TSA.”

Folding her arms, Kara narrows her eyes in a sulky glare. “You know, you’re not as funny as you think.”

“Yeah, well, Kelly thinks that you’re a koala.”

“Not what I said,” Kelly calls out from her spot on the couch, a statement which is squarely ignored by the bickering sisters.

“Cute and likes to sleep?” Kara nods. “I’m okay with that.”

“Stupidly obsessed with eating toxic leaves and vulnerable to extinction,” Alex answers.

“Again, in case anyone cares,” Kelly says patiently. “Not what I said.”

“Okay, you know what? Fine.” Kara digs into the pocket of her jeans and comes up with a crumpled-up dollar bill, which she holds up for Alex to see. “Here’s my contribution. Except it’s not going to be a Twizzlers contribution, it’s going to be a party fund for Mike when he gets back and we’re back together.” With great flourish, Kara drops the bill into the Twizzlers jar.

Alex peers in the jar. “That was a twenty.”

Kara’s face briefly contorts with regret, but she quickly chases it away.

“Whatever, I’m standing by it. Mike deserves a great welcome home party.”

Alex tilts her head to the side and scrunches up her nose. “Does he though?”

As Kara starts in on her rebuttal, Kelly sighs and reaches for a package of crackers on the coffee table. Looks like they won’t be ready to start dinner anytime soon.

***

Kara takes Lena to a Georgian (the country, not the state) restaurant in the Village. She orders khinkali, Georgian soup dumplings; adjaruli khachapuri, egg yolk and butter stirred into a pile of molten cheese in a bread boat; chvishtari, crispy cornbread with a cheese-and-walnut dipping sauce; and a giant platter of pickles.

Despite the feast, Lena can tell that something’s wrong. Kara’s half-heartedly nibbling at her pickle instead of ravenously cramming as many dumplings as she can into her mouth.

“Everything all right?”

Kara smiles stiffly at her dining companion. “Fine! No problem!”

Which, of course, is entirely unconvincing.

When the check comes, Kara quickly makes a grab for it. To Lena, that’s inexplicable and confounding, because they’ve already agreed to take turns paying for dinner. There’s no need for Kara to grab at it like Lena’s going to insist on paying the whole thing if there’s even a moment’s delay.

Lena decides to wait for the right moment to address it. She doesn’t bring it up on their walk and she doesn’t bring it up on the taxi ride back to her apartment. She waits until they’re both sitting on the couch in her living room. She scoots close to Kara, their knees touching, and places a reassuring hand on Kara’s thigh.

“Tell me what’s the matter?” When Kara looks visibly reluctant, she prompts, “You’ve been off all night. What is it?”

Kara fidgets with her glasses and shifts around in discomfort. “Okay, um, so the other day, I found something out. About you.”

Instinctively, Lena shrinks back, heart rate spiking although she can’t quite articulate why. There’s nothing major that comes to mind, no deep, dark secret or buried skeleton. There isn’t anything that she’s hiding from Kara. There is, however, a lifetime of insecurities playing tricks on her mind, tiny ways that she thinks she doesn’t measure up. If Kara says she found something out about her, Lena’s already assuming that it’s something bad.

“What is it?” she asks, trying to sound calm.

“Uh, well, apparently you’re- you’re like a billionaire?”

That’s certainly not what Lena had expected to hear. But at least it’s not about one of the million-and-one personality flaws she thinks she has. It’s just about money. Luthors can handle talking about money. She relaxes. Just a little.

“Is this new information for you?”

“Uh, _yes_.”

“Oh.” She doesn’t quite know what to say to that. She had assumed that Kara already knew. “Well, you knew that I have money.”

“Well, obviously.” Kara gestures at their surroundings. “I just didn’t think you were a _billionaire_ with a ‘B’.”

“You didn’t google me?”

“No.” It’s clearly not the first time Kara’s been asked the question, because she already looks sheepish. “Why? Did you?”

“Of course. The moment you left my apartment the first night. I read all the articles you wrote.”

“Oh. Um. I didn’t know that.” Now Kara feels downright silly for not having done her due diligence. And she’s supposed to be the reporter here. “I just, I didn’t expect it. You take the subway. You live _here_. I mean, it’s obviously a really, really nice multi-million place, but shouldn’t you be in a mansion or like a duplex penthouse?”

Amicably and temperately, Lena explains, “I like the subway. And I like this place. It’s close to work and has the perfect amount of space for me. I have one room for me and one guest room. I don’t need more than that.”

That response only frustrates Kara more. “It’s just like _completely crazy_ that _this place_ is considered low key and modest for you. But it is, because you’re a freakin’ billionaire. With a B.”

“Mm. Although it’s really not quite that straightforward. The money is practically an illusion.”

“Okay, that’s something that only an obscenely wealthy person would say.”

“I mean that bulk of my net worth is based on the value of my shares in L-Corp. I might be a billionaire if I liquidated today and gave up control of my company, but that’s never going to happen. I don’t deny that I’m still obscenely wealthy, but not _quite_ as obscene as it sounds. And I don’t understand the issue here. Clearly you were fine with the idea of me having money, but for some reason, it seems to bother you to find out that I’m a… ‘billionaire with a B,’ as you say. Why is that?”

“I- I don’t know.” Kara looks down at her hands, examining her cuticles for something to focus on. “I guess, from working at CatCo, I’ve met plenty of rich people. I thought you were just, like, regular rich? I didn’t think you were like ‘build a super secret underground lair guarded by robot bears’ rich.”

Looking amused, Lena asks, “Am I a super villain?”

“We did establish that you’re a billionaire, right?”

Lena just laughs, easily shrugging off the dig. “Fair enough. Well, I don’t have underground lairs or robot bears. What I have are the majority shares in a very successful company with a lucrative pharmaceutical development and production branch. We make an ‘obscene’ amount of money, which lets me fund the projects I want to fund, worthwhile but risky and likely unprofitable ventures.”

“Y- you don’t have to explain yourself to me, Lena.”

“That’s not how it feels.” Her good humor finally evaporating, Lena regards Kara solemnly. In the back of her mind is the thought, _a friends with benefits arrangement is not supposed to be this intense_. But she quickly expels the thought. More important things to focus on now, like getting to the bottom of what’s bothering Kara. “What’s the problem here?”

“I don’t- it’s not a _problem_ , really-”

“But it is, because it’s clearly bothering you.”

Finally, Kara lets out in one, long, anxious breath, “I don’t know why you picked _me_.” When she sees that Lena’s befuddled, she adds, “It was one thing when you were, like, regular rich. Now, finding out you’re astronomically rich, it highlights just _how_ different your life is and how surreal this whole thing is. And I don’t, I don’t understand. Like _why_ are you sleeping with me? You’re so far out of my league.”

Lena slants back, shock flooding her face, her brows arching as high as they could go. “You think that _I’m_ out of _your_ league?”

Kara purses her lips, exasperated that she’s expected to respond to a question that, to her, has such a plain, indisputable answer. “Well, obviously!”

“No,” Lena responds emphatically, slightly stretching the vowel. “Not obviously. Have you _seen_ yourself?” She reaches out, propping her elbow on the back of the couch and playfully tugs at the end of Kara’s hair. “All flowing blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and…” Her eyes fall downward, shamelessly giving Kara the once-over with no attempt to conceal what’s on her mind. “Well, all _that_.”

It’s not the first time Lena’s praised her. By this point of their arrangement, Lena’s said so many filthy things to her in bed that a line like this should have no effect. Still, Kara blushes fiercely and needlessly adjusts her eyeglasses.

“Well, um, thank you. But I’m not even talking about that. You’re _such_ a catch, Lena. There’s god knows how many hundreds, thousands of people dying to date you, but here you are, hanging out with _me_.”

“If that’s what I wanted, that’s what I would be doing.” With a light sigh, Lena pulls back her hand that’s been compulsively toying with Kara’s hair. “Kara, I meant it when I said that I’m not emotionally ready for a relationship. Veronica and I, we were-” Her voice catches at the memories, and she clears her throat. “Well, it’s just going to be a long time before I feel okay enough to try again. _This_ is all I’m capable of right now. So don’t think that this arrangement is keeping me from anything, because that’s just not true.”

Kara is still holding herself tensely, Lena’s assurance not bringing any relief. “I just don’t want to be the person that keeps you from having something great. I- I have someone amazing and I know how great it feels when you’re with the right person. I just want the same for you.”

At a loss for what to say, but knowing that it’s a terrible idea to suggest that ‘someone amazing’ maybe doesn’t include a man who pushes for an open relationship when moving away for a year, Lena decides to change the subject. Move it to a territory that they’re both more comfortable with.

“You’re keeping me from having a great orgasm right now with all this talking.”

Despite herself, Kara laughs. Lena takes the opportunity to scoot over, moving close and hovering, waiting for permission. Kara gives it by taking the initiative, tilting her head and pressing her mouth against Lena’s.

Coming alive, Lena surges forward, kissing Kara back with the same unrestrained eagerness she always does. Her body just _reacts_ to Kara’s, instantaneous, acute, almost volatile. She leans in (wanting more, always wanting more) until she has the blonde beneath her. Her hands roam freely, encouraged by Kara’s satisfied sighs and canting hips.

Lena tugs at the edge of Kara’s sweater. Getting the hint, Kara sits up just enough to let Lena pull her sweater and shirt over her head. It’s Kara who unhooks her own bra, but Lena who slides it off her shoulders and discards it to the side. As always, Lena lavishes attention on Kara’s breasts, sucking, pulling, kneading, alternating between gentle and just hard enough to almost hurt.

When Kara decides that she’s had enough, she grabs Lena’s hands and brings them to the waistband of her jeans. Obediently, Lena unbuttons, unzips, slides the material down. She wedges her hand between their tightly joined bodies, feeling her way to where Kara’s most sensitive. When her fingers press against Kara’s clit, the blonde groans sharply. With practiced precision, Lena rubs, with varying tempo, bringing Kara to the precipice of pleasure before easing off, then repeats, rebuilds.

When Kara decides that she’s _really_ had enough, she angles her hips up, wordlessly directing. Lena shifts, sinking two fingers inside while she keeps her thumb on the clit. With a few quick thrusts, Kara’s clenching and moaning out her orgasm, with Lena kissing her through the high. Kara goes slack, and Lena withdraws her hand, but remains atop the blonde, quiet and still, knowing that Kara enjoys the pressure and feeling of safety as she recovers.

“You know,” she says lowly in a near-whisper. “You were afraid to sit on my sofa when you came over the first time. Now here you are, naked and coming all over it.”

Tired but in good humor, Kara quips back, “Well, now that I know you’re a billionaire, I have no problem ruining your expensive furniture.”

“I’m sure you’re shocked to hear that I don’t mind.”

“Well, good.” Kara sits up, swiftly and easily flipping Lena onto her back as she slides to the floor on her knees. “Because I’m about to go down on you right here.”

So she does. And, very vocally, Lena demonstrates just how much she doesn’t mind.

***

“Nia’s asking many questions about you.”

Lena looks up from her desk and sees Brainy standing in the doorway of her office. She leans away from her computer screen, sitting back in her seat, resting her elbows on her chair’s armrest as she locks her hands together before her.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Sometimes she forgets that Brainy occasionally needs prompts. “What has she asked?”

“If you’re nice. If I like working for you. If you’re easy to talk to. If you’re kind and considerate. I answered all in the affirmative. She also wanted to know your romantic history. I told her that I was not very familiar. But I did tell her about the time Veronica showed up to take you to lunch and you came back inebriated then went to cry in your office.”

Lena wants to find a hole to crawl in and die. “You knew about that?”

“Yes.”

Lena clears her throat, and uselessly moves a pen on her desk away from the edge. “Does everybody else here know about that?”

“I don’t believe so. I have not mentioned it to anybody else. I never intended to. But Nia, she…” Brainy looks embarrassed but still cheered at the thought. “She has a way. So. I am deeply sorry for my miscue.”

Lena nods. She doesn’t relish the thought of anyone knowing about that particular incident, but frankly, that hadn’t even been one of their top ten worst fights. It was just the one that happened during work hours. They didn’t even break up until three months after. In retrospect, it’s remarkable they ever made it to a year.

“Did Nia tell you why she’s asking all these questions?”

“She says you know her friend, Kara Danvers. I believe you previously asked me about her.”

“I did. Did she say anything more about her?”

“She did not.” Brainy looks puzzled. “Why do you keep asking about Kara Danvers?”

She doesn’t plan on it, but out it comes anyway. “We’re sleeping together. Kara and I, that is.”

“Ah,” Brainy says, looking startled. It finally occurs to Lena that maybe there are some things a boss shouldn’t share with a subordinate. Oops.

“Sorry, forget I said that. That was inappropriate.”

“I do not mind,” Brainy assures her. “But I’m afraid I don’t have much information. What I know is that Nia considers Kara a true friend. Loyal and caring. But Kara, she’s, well…”

The concern etched on Brainy’s face causes Lena’s heart to seize with worry. “What is it?”

Reluctantly, Brainy says, “Kara’s romantically entangled with a man overseas. A serious boyfriend. I’m sorry, Lena.”

Relief floods Lena’s system. “That’s all right. I knew that. Kara and I have an arrangement.”

“Oh.” The puzzled look is back again.

“You don’t approve?”

“It isn’t that. I’m no stranger to these arrangements myself - before Nia, that is. I’m merely surprised.”

“Because Kara doesn’t seem like the type?”

Brainy gives her an odd look. “I do not know Kara well. Because I did not think _you_ were the type.”

Lena scoffs, feeling oddly offended. “And why is that?”

“Truthfully, I’ve always thought of you as secretly sentimental. Tenderhearted, even.”

“ _Me_? Sentimental?” The nerve of this man. She’s not even going to address the ‘tenderhearted’ insult.

“Secretly,” Brainy emphasizes. “But yes.” Evidently feeling that the conversation has run its course, he steps away from the doorframe he’s been hovering in, leaving Lena with, “Perhaps I am mistaken.”

By the time Lena recovers to say “Yes!”, Brainy’s already gone.

“You are,” she says to the empty room.

***

Lena takes Kara to the most expensive sushi restaurant in the city. Privately, she thinks the place is a bit overrated, but she doesn’t share the thought. Places like these, like much of the city itself, is about having the experience, something you do just to say you did it.

Heaping a spoonful of toro tartare and briny caviar atop thick slices of grilled bread, Kara’s eyes light up as inspiration strikes her.

“Toro in the streets, _toro_ between the sheets.”

Which only earns her a perplexed, slightly perturbed look from Lena. “Are you- is ‘toro’ supposed to be an anatomical reference?”

“What? No! I meant toro as in Spanish for bull!”

“But you see how it’s confusing when we’re in a Japanese restaurant. Where toro means fatty tuna. And we’re literally eating raw fish right now.”

Kara huffs indignantly. “My mind didn’t go there. I was trying to, you know, bring a multicultural flair to it.”

Lena shrugs. “B plus for effort, C for execution.”

With an expression of petulant outrage, Kara protests, “I’ve never gotten a C before in my life!”

“I’m happy to be your first, darling.”

And Kara wants to complain more, she really does. But the look on Lena’s face, teasing and flirty, coupled with that ‘darling’ breaks her brain a little bit.

After dinner, they decide to walk back to Lena’s apartment. It’s a clear night, a little cold but tolerable, and the city is beautiful at this hour, calm enough to be enjoyable. There’s still honking cars and the occasional drunken hollers from fellow pedestrians, but for this part of the city, this is considered serene because they can stroll slowly down the sidewalk without twenty people speed-walking by with dirty looks.

As they walk, Kara tells Lena about her work woes. It’s New York Fashion Week, but instead of being anywhere near the action, CatCo has her making calls and fact-checking the features by other writers.

“And it’s not like I even _want_ to cover Fashion Week, but I wish that they’d use me for more than just fact-checking.”

“They don’t give you article assignments?”

“They do, but it’s been small little fluff pieces and quick Q&A profiles. And every time I think I’m making a good pitch, it always ends up getting overshadowed by something else. _But_!” Kara holds up a finger in emphasis. “I think I’m onto something for my next pitch. I’m still putting the details together, but it’s going to be really good.”

“I’m sure,” Lena agrees readily. “I’ve read your pieces. I know you say they’re fluff, and maybe the subject matter isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s clear that you have a talent. Whatever you write next, I look forward to reading it.”

Kara lets the exhilaration of praise wash over her, indulging in the moment. Lena likes her writing. She lets that thought linger, holding and turning it over in her mind, savoring it. It means more than it probably should. Or, as Kara’s now rationalizing to herself, maybe she’s just an egomaniac who thrives on all praise.

“Hey, about next week,” Kara says. “I won’t be able to come over.”

“Oh,” Lena says simply. There’s a sudden tightness to her chest, which she quickly dismisses as heartburn. After all, she just had a big meal. “That’s too bad. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s Valentine’s Day weekend.”

Lena thinks she understands. “Right. And you don’t think it’s a good idea for us to see each other on a romantic holiday. I understand.”

Kara wrinkles her nose in genuine surprise. “What? No. I don’t care about that. But my sister and I host a Galentine’s Day every year the day before Valentine’s Day. This year it’s on Saturday so I won’t be able to come over.” Kara lightly nudges Lena in the side. “But you should come. If you want. We’re going to Alex and Kelly’s apartment.”

“To Galentine’s Day?”

“Yeah. Although now it’s really just a party for all our friends. James and Winn started crashing it, so we just ended up inviting more and more people.”

“Oh, um…” The thought of meeting Kara’s sister and friends fills Lena with a sense of foreboding.

“Come! I know you don’t have any plans on Saturday.” Kara reaches out, taking Lena’s hand in her own and pulling playfully like a begging child. “Comeeee onnnnnn, Lena. It’ll be fun. I make really good cupcakes.”

“I, I don’t know,” Lena says hesitantly. “Meeting your sister and your friends? Isn’t that a little bit too…”

“Friendly?” Sardonically, Kara adds, “God forbid we get a bit _friendly_ after sticking our tongues inside each other.”

That earns her a small chuckle from Lena. “Maybe I’m just intimidated by the prospect of being interrogated. You know your friend Nia’s been asking Brainy about me?”

“Has she?” Kara makes a face, slightly peeved but unsurprised. “I’m sorry, my friends can be nosy. She’s just curious. I’ll talk to her. She won’t interrogate you, I promise.”

“To be fair, I’ve asked Brainy about you.”

“You have?” Involuntarily, Kara squeezes Lena’s hand in excitement.

“Hmm. I was curious about what I’d gotten myself mixed up in. Sadly, Brainy isn’t much help.”

“I’m an open book,” Kara says with a light shrug. “You can always ask me whatever you want.”

Except now that the offer’s on the table, Lena’s mind has gone blank. It’s not as if she had specific questions in the first place. She’s aware that she has an amorphous, undefined desire to know Kara, who she is, what she’s _about_. (This desire, Lena rationalizes, is merely a byproduct of her scientific mind. It’s perfectly natural to be curious about the person you’re sleeping with. It doesn’t have to mean anything.) The kind of knowledge that cannot be extracted from a Q&A, but only imparted through time, patience, familiarity. (The kind of knowledge, Lena is aware, she does not have the luxury to obtain as the clock, the countdown to their end, ticks steadily on.)

Lamely, she tries, “What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue to wear, green and beige for furniture, red for slushies,” Kara rattles off without a moment’s hesitation. “Yours?”

“Black.”

“Of course it is,” Kara says, rolling her eyes in exaggerated mockery. “Okay, see? We can get to know each other and the world’s not going to end.”

Cautiously, guardedly, Lena replies, “I just want to make sure that we adhere to our agreement.”

Kara sighs, feeling a little worn by the subject. “Look, I’m not inviting you because I’m, like, feeling something for you. I’m inviting you because I like hanging out with you. It’s really that simple. But I’d never want you to be uncomfortable. If you don’t want to go, I’ll drop it.”

There’s a part of Lena who says (in a voice that suspiciously sounds like her adoptive mother’s) that this is an idiotic endeavor, that the safer course of action is to stay home, that nothing good can come from meeting Kara’s friends.

But instead, despite her more practical judgment, she says, “All right, sure. I’ll come.”

Because spending the day before Valentine’s Day with your fuck buddy is just such a terrific idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: the execution of a terrific idea


End file.
